Never Will I Ever
by Never4Never
Summary: Kiba broke her heart, so Sakura vowed to never be charmed by those who dwell in the East Side and are involved in gangs. No more bad boys. Sasuke, an East Sider, enters her life and challenges her beliefs. As they both get closer to each other, their relationship will be tested. "How can I make you stop fighting?" I ask. Sasuke cracks a grin. "Go out with me."
1. Chapter 1

**ATTENTION PEOPLE SO YOU WILL NOT BE CONFUSED:**

**XX = Sakura's POV**

**OO= Sasuke's POV**

**You'll get the hang of it. I hope.**

XX

"I think that we should go and see other people," Kiba announces to me. I stop. There was no way. Did he just say we were breaking up? After everything we have been through? I just told my undying love to him and he- well,okay it wasn't undying but it was the first time I ever told anyone that I loved them. And he just goes and says we should break up. That made no sense.

"Why?" I say, gulping, wondering if there was actually a real explanation. A million things were going on in my head. He found another girl. I wasn't good enough. He thought I was stupid. I was a horrible girlfriend. I forgot it was his birthday. I-

"You said you didn't want a guy with the Akatsuki gang," Kiba shook his head. "Well, Sakura, I had to choose you or the gang." And he chose the gang, I know. "And I chose the gang. I can't be around someone like you," Kiba looked at me. What did he mean someone like me? "You'll only bring me down." My heart sank. Seriously? Some stupid gang was going to come between us? He walked away, like our ten months meant nothing. Like we didn't like each other. Like we were some strangers now. Did I really know him? Because I didn't know he would chose the gang over me. I knew he was doing things with them, like drug dealing, but now he seems in deep. So deep he'd break up with me. He was right though, I wouldn't have tolerated him being in a gang and would have tried to convince him to get out, but too late.

It didn't make me feel any matter better when I saw him the next day kissing some random girl in the hallway.

OO

I was happy for my brother, really, I was, but he just seemed so different now. Not at all like the big brother had I known and loved who was in a gang. Now he was getting married and having a wife named Lisa. I remember when Itachi was a hardcore gang member. Not at all the guy who was the marrying type. But here he was, getting ready to give his life to one single woman. I could never do that. Too much dedication.

"What is it, Sasuke? You look sad. You should be happy, it's my wedding," Itachi cracked a smile and I looked away, glancing at the wall.

"Nothing," I lie, "just can't believe you're getting married."

"Honestly? Sometimes me too. It's like I'm the lucky one, bro," Itachi put on his tie and took a deep breath. "Can you find mom? I think she's in the room down the hall. Wedding is about to start." I get out of the room, and walk down the hallway.

I open a door and saw the girl with pink hair flailing her arms around the air. She turned around, and her brilliant green eyes were fixated on me.

"What do you want?" she narrowed her eyes, the tone in her voice clearly stated she was annoyed.

"Wedding is about to start," I respond, leaning in the doorway. She was pretty in an unusual way.

"Thanks," she rolled her eyes and went back to her phone. The the door busted open and my mom came in, looking at me.

"Sasuke-" she looked at me, then back at the Pink Haired Wonder then back at me. "Are you bothering the young lady?" I glanced at the pink haired girl who wasn't looking at me but my mom.

"Nope," I answer just at the same time she had to say, "Yes."

"Sasuke, come on, you are holding up the whole wedding," my mom was rubbing her temples and I couldn't blame her. I know she is happy for Itachi, but at the same time sad too. Her big boy finally all grown up and getting married. Oh how she would have thought she would never see the day. Neither had I, to be completely honest. I'm pretty sure my mom was thinking how her son became from a gang member, to not being in a gang, getting shot in the process, and having a decent job and going to college. College was never in my agenda. My mom is a single parent, raising me and Itachi, working two jobs since she was a high school dropout. School was irrelevant to me. I had a job as soon as I could, when I was fourteen so I could help my mom and so did Itachi, just to get food on the table. We lived on the East Side of town, the more poverty struck town, where people didn't care what anyone did, illegal or otherwise. Just the way I liked it.

Living the way we had, ever since Itachi started dating Lisa, he stopped going with me to pick up girls, partying and all the fun stuff. I really looked up to my brother, we both got into so much fights, even me at the age of sixteen probably fought more than the average person did their whole lives. Then Itachi got all sentimental and just plain disguting, falling in love. Now that was just laughable I'm kinda embarrassed of him.

"Sasuke!" my mom was looking at me like I had grown another head. "Come. On." I glanced at where Pinky was, but she was long gone.

"Let the wedding begin," I mumble. I pass her when she was sitting down and gave her my best wink. She flips me off, not to amuse me, but I am amused. Usually girls would wink back or go up and talk to me. Looks like Pinky's not interested. I could probably make her dance by the end of the wedding.

XX

It was bad enough my parents made me come to this guys wedding. Now this weird guy, okay, well, he was sort of hot, but he was trying to talk to me. And did he just wink at me? I was sitting on the chair, looking at the people, bored to death, when I heard someone behind me, "OMG who was the hunk with the spiked hair? He is so hot!"

"OMG that is Itachi's brother- Sasuke Uchiha," another girl answers.

"OMG do you think he'd dance with me?" If they say OMG one more time, someone is getting slapped.

After the vows, the dancing starts. Of course, I'm not interested, and I'm texting my friends. "Smile a little," my step mother whispers. Instead of smiling more, my frown deepens.

"Want to dance?" a guy with a deep velvetly voice asks me. I know that voice. I look up and meet Sasuke Uchiha's onyx eyes and cocky smirk. Like he knew I wasn't going to refuse him. Wrong day, buster. Just two weeks ago the guy I thought I loved just dumped me for a gang, and boys were totally not in my radar.

"No," I cross my arms, and I glance at my step mom who is looking at me like she wants to strangle me. Now he should just go away and prey on some other poor girl. Instead of backing down, or taking a hint, he only looks amused.

"Is it because you can't dance?" he asks me, flashing a million dollar smile. I wonder how much hearts this guy broken. I know the type. He didn't seem like he was in any long relationships or committed. And I know he's taunting me, baiting me.

But actually, the sad thing was, I can't dance.

"She would love to," my step mother replies for me, next to him.

I take a deep breath, and stand up, mustering up the most fake smile, I take his hand, and stomp to the dance floor. I turn around to look at him, and it annoys me to no end this guy looks entertained. He takes a step closer, and I stomp my foot on his shoes. "Find someone else to bother," I walk away from the dance floor with all the dignity I had, with my step mom and my dad and brother after me. I didn't look back. It wasn't anything personal, he should have known. It was just I had a lousy day, and I was not in mood for a wedding or anything.

"Sakura when will you stop moping around?" my step-mother asks, sounding exasperating.

"I'm perfectly fine," I say, and truth was, I am. I am done with guys for a while. They could not be trusted. Especially guys like Sasuke Uchiha.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Ah, I don't know, I just thought this whole gang thing was gonna be interesting! I know I am writing another story for Sakura and Sasuke, and I will definitely still work on that, but this just came rushing in my mind and I had to write it. **

**Let me know whacha think – review(:**


	2. Chapter 2

_ONE YEAR LATER….._

OO

"Sasuke!" my mom shouts. "Sasuke!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," I mutter to myself, getting out of my room.

"Your bus already left," my mom gives me a hard stare. "Not a good start to start a new school on your first day."

"I was going to drive anyways," I shrug, taking a piece of toast from the toaster.

"With that piece of junk you call a motorcycle?" my mother asks me, touching her temple, and shaking her head.

"It works perfectly," I defended my motorcycle.

"Yeah, ma, we fixed it," Itachi comes in the doorway, and I was happy to see my brother come by, he usually came every other day since now he had a house of his own, not on the East Side, where he used to be. Now, ever since he got married, my room I used to share with him felt so…empty. I know people would kill to have rooms to themselves, but the bed that was once Itachi's was gone now, and I missed him from time to time. I see him almost everyday, but at the same time I feel like I haven't really gotten a chance to really talk to him. Not like when he shared a room with me, and we would have our talks at night.

"Itachi!" my mother goes over to Itachi and kisses him, fawning over him like always.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, getting my black book bag that contained nothing but a single piece of paper. Oh well, I was going to ask some random person for a pencil if need be. So much for shopping for school supplies like I was supposed to.

"What? I can't see my lil bro going to his first day to Konoha High as a senior?" Itachi asks. It was Itachi's genius idea to transfer me to different schools. By genius, I mean stupid.

"Nothing to celebrate or to look at," I tell him seriously. He laughs. He just doesn't know yet that I am considering dropping out and working at the garage full time. Cars were my thing, as they were Itachi's.

"Stay out of trouble, Sasuke," Itachi calls out to me as I head out and put my helmet on.

"Don't count on it," I call back.

XX

"So," Sai grins, "you think about quitting?" I sigh and slam my locker. I can never open the locks.

"Look ,the only reason why I even joined to cheer was-" I turn around and all my books splatter on the ground.

"Talk about clumsy," Sai laughs, but I wasn't laughing. There was no way. No. Way. No way.

It was him. Sasuke Uchiha. The guy I was a complete jerk to. Funny that I remember him. With a face like that-I shake my head, I could not be thinking about how hot this guy looked. He was talking to Kiba, of all people. Well it would make sense, East Side to East Side people, but looking at Kiba just made my blood boil. But there he was. He was walking, and he walked with an air of confidence and purpose, and I noticed people noticing him. He was kind of hard to miss.

"Earth to Sakura," Sai snaps me back. "Uh, who are you looking at?" I panic. I could not let Sai see him. Because knowing Sai, he would want to meet the guy, and right now, I did not want to meet the guy I met over a year ago. What the heck was he doing in Konoha High anyways?

"Don't look now, but you see that guy next to Kiba? I know him kinda sorta," I say. Of course Sai looks and whistles.

"You know him and haven't introduced him? How rude," Sai comments. "Should we wave him in?"

"No!" I hiss, grabbing Sai's hands to go to first period. "Don't even acknowledge him. I hope he won't remember." In fact, I am pretty sure he won't remember me."

"Gee, Sakura, a hello would have been a good thing," Sai says, shaking his head. I just hope I don't have any classes with this guy.

OO

"Hey man," Kiba nodded at me as I walk to class. "What bring you here? Ready to join the-"

"Nah," I wave it off because I wasn't too interested in joining a gang. Not when I saw what it could do people. Like it did Itachi. Killed his best friend.

"You know they'd like you to join," Kiba said.

"Whatever happens," I say and a random girl came up to Kiba and kissed him, shooting me a wink. I turn away, stopping with him and stop cold. It couldn't be. The Pink Haired Wonder. I would notice that hair color anywhere. She went here? I smile despite myself. I wonder if she remembers me. Probably did.

"Who's that?" I ask Kiba, looking at the girl. Kiba turns and his whole face turns to disgust.

"Sakura Haruno, girl I used to date a while back," Kiba answers, shrugging.

"You dated her?" I couldn't believe a guy like Kiba dated her. She didn't seem like the dating type. Or the type of girl to date a guy like Kiba.

"Trust me, you don't want to be with her," Kiba assures me. "There are better chicks out there." Kiba walks away, but I can't help but want to talk to her. I seriously wonder if she remembers me. I walk into my history class and was met up by this guy who looked too happy to be in school.

"Hey! I'm Naruto!" the guy with yellow hair and big blue eyes are peering at me, grinning. It was seven in the morning. How can anyone in their right mind be that excited?

"Hey," I say slowly. No one talked to me all day. I did notice the stares I got in the hallways as I walked to my first period.

"You're new, right?" he asks me.

"Yes," better to just give this guy one word answers so he would leave me alone and let me fall asleep. History first period? I'm goin' to be sleeping everyday.

"Football tryouts are next Monday. You should join," Naruto says to me. Then this guy with black hair and a white stripe across his hair came sauntering in.

"You're in my seat," the guy tells me, trying to, but failing, to look menancing and mean. Did this guy want to start a fight? He didn't look like the type of guy to get in fights. Just for show.

"Oh yeah?" I say, raising an eyebrow tauntingly. I was not about to get out from this seat because some tough guy thought he could just make me give up a seat when it was the first day of school, where out teacher didn't assign seats.

"Lee, bug off," Naruto said. The guy names Lee looked at me and narrowed his eyes.

"Hmph, East Sider," Lee says under his breath before leaving.

"Lee, he's cool and all, but just…" Naruto looks at me sheepishly, "a jerk."

"He doesn't scare me," I say. Guys like Lee probably have never really been into an all out there brawl.

XX

I decided I was going to just pretend like I never met him. Or remember him. Last period of the day, gym, and he _had_ to be in my class. I was getting out of the locker room and I bumped into something rock solid and all my books fell.

"We have got to stop meeting like this," Sasuke murmurs to me, his dark eyes locking into mines and I feel butterflies. Good gosh, he was smoking hot. I needed to stop looking at him, so I look at the vending machine instead.

"We never met like this," I say tightly, getting my book, and getting up. He gets up with me, with a cocky grin.

"Glad you remembered," he says to me, and I stop. Shoot. My plan of pretending that I didn't know him was failing. New plan.

"Would you like to refresh my memory?" I ask him.

"About a year ago, right? Remember my brother's-

OO

"So, do you play any sports or are you just too cool to play?" she asks, interrupting me. I don't know if she wants small talk or just to change the subject, but I go alone with it.

"I don't know, how about you be the judge of that?" I ask her, smirking as she squirmed.

"W-well," Sakura stammered but a blonde girl came to where we were at. She gave me a once over and smiled big.

"I don't believe we ever met," she said to me.

"Me either," I say, smiling fakely. It was going to be fun flirting with this chick. Especially in front of Sakura since she claimed she didn't remember me. But I know she does.

"I'm Ino, and you are?" she asks. _Not interested_.

But instead I say, "Sasuke Uchiha, and the pleasure is all mine."

"Well," Ino glances at Sakura then back to me. "I think we should, you know, hang out sometime. There is a party at the beach today and you are invited by me personally."

"I'd love to go," I say. She flips her hair and smiles that probably would drive guys crazy. But I didn't go for blondes.

"Can't wait to see you there, Sasuke," she smiles coyly then turns to Sakura, "Sakura, cheer practice is going to start. Hurry up." She turns to me. "And I will be seeing you tonight." Cheerleaders? No thanks. And I did not peg Sakura to be a cheerleader. She wore an oversized t-shirt and some baggy jeans with her hair in a pony tail. At Itachi's wedding she looked anything but cheerful. She seemed she was at someone's funeral rather than wedding.

Sakura is looking at me, and I can tell I got to her. "What?" I ask innocently.

"Nothing. I didn't think Ino would actually talk to someone like you," Sakura replies. "A gang banger."

"I'm not a gang banger," I say.

"You're not?" she looks at me skeptically.

"Not everyone in East Side is a gang banger," I shook my head. "Are you going to the-"

"Sakura! There you are!" that guy that always hung around her came to her and wrapped his arms around her. I tensed. For some reason, I hated this guy. I haven't even met him and I hated him. He looked over at me. "And the new guy. I heard so many things about you from Sakura here."

"Sai," Sakura warned him, shooting him a glare. I raise my eyebrows.

"Talking about me in your spare time? I have to say, I'm kind of flattered," I say, a smirk forming on my lips.

"Don't flatter yourself," Sakura narrowed her eyes at me then turned away with Sai. I watch her as she exits, and I head to Itachi's house. The first day of school was just the weirdest thing.

Lisa, Itachi's wife, was there, cooking something that smelled burnt. "Sasuke can you…." I follow her to the kitchen, and she opened the oven. She frowned.

"Burnt cookies," she sighs and puts the cookies in the trash. I stand there, not knowing what to do. Lisa and I didn't really have much to talk about. I mean, I knew her a little when she and Itachi were dating and Itachi bought her to the house a couple of times, much to my mother's disapproval of brining any girls home, but she was nice enough.

"Honey, I'm-" Itachi stops when he sees me, and smiles. "How was school?"

Horrible. "I love school, Itachi. It's such a wonderful place to be in," I answer, and Itachi's face turns into a grimace.

"Just for once can you stop being so difficult?" Itachi asks. "I don't even know how mom deals with you without slapping you in the face once and a while." My mom did not tolerate any disrespect from me. Or my sarcasm. So yes, she did slap me a few times.

"I met Kiba, he's in the Akatsuki," I say.

"You better stay away from them," Itachi warns me. "I mean it, lil' bro, you can't take on the whole world by yourself. I know you think that, but you can't." We're both silent. I know he's thinking about his best friend Shisui who died protecting him from the gang. I missed that guy.

"Okay, so guys," Lisa looked at both of us, not realizing the tension. Sure I wasn't in the gang, but right after his house, I was going to do some things. They thought I was associated with them since Itachi wasn't anymore. Lisa had these big round chocolate brown eyes and dirty blonde hair. I didn't know what Itachi saw in her, but she was smiling at both of us like she won the lottery. Now _that_ would be something to smile about.

"What is it, Lisa?" my brother asks, smiling too. He was always smiling when she was around.

"I'm pregnant," she announces. Itachi twirls her round and I think my head is spinning around.

"Congratulations," Itachi says, grinning and kissing her deeply. Gag me. I look at a picture of fruits in the kitchen and they finally break the kiss. "Sasuke?" Itachi looks over at me.

Did he want me to lie or tell Lisa the truth? I'm not sure how I really feel about having a…nephew or niece. I didn't do well with kids. "I'm happy for you," I tell her, not knowing if I was lying to her or myself. Much to my surprise, she hugs me.

"Sasuke, I know you'll be a great uncle," she murmurs to me. Right. How does she know this exactly?

After Lisa gave me a box of burnt cookies, I went to walk to my house. While I was walking, I was met by the big guns themselves of the Akatsuki gang, Pein and Konan- she was always around him. "Sasuke Uchiha," Pein looked at me, with his multiple piercings he looked like a hardcore gang boss. Well, those were the rumors anyways. "We'd like to purpose you a deal."

"I don't deal drugs," I automatically say. I don't need to get put in jail again.

"Ah, but… tell me…how's your mother doing, Sasuke? Is she fine?" Pein asks me, and I clench my fists. He knows how to get to me. My family. And I know that he can in an instant tell his other followers to kidnap or even worse, kill, my mother. Right now, he's telling me who's in charge. I don't get intimidated by people at all, but there's something about this guy that rubs me the wrong way.

"Okay, when and where?"

XX

I come home from cheering practice, and home is anything but my sanctuary. My dad dotes on my step mother, ever since their marriage two years ago, and my mother…well, she was gone. I haven't talked to her in a while. She was there one day, and gone the next. I'm afraid to ask my dad. He never talks about her. I don't know if it's because he feels guilty for cheating on her with Kate or what, but he doesn't. But I do. And I hate Kate for it.

When I enter, my dad is talking with Kate and they see me. "Hey honey, how was school?" my dad asks.

"Good," I reply. It was always that : "good" when he asked me how school was because I learned a while back he really didn't care. He didn't want to hear anything besides "good" so that was all he got.

"Did you make the cheerleading squad?" Kate asks like she actually cares. Which she doesn't. I tense. I made it, but I was going to quit. The try outs were this summer, and I made it in again, for senior year, but I felt like it was time to let go. Cheerleading was my mom's thing. She was the one who encouraged me to do it. Ever since she left two years ago, I tried to think cheering would connect me more to my mom, but it never did.

"I'm not going to join," I say.

"Oh, you know when I was a cheerleader…" Kate's voice drones on because the conversation always had to revolve around her. Like she wasn't the one who ruined my family.

I never knew Kate was a cheerleader. Maybe that in itself was a good reason to stop.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X**

**I know, I know, I should be writing my Pride and Prejudice story, but this is coming along nicely for me.**

**Until next time- review(:**


	3. Chapter 3

**Reminder: **

**OO = Sasuke's POV**

**XX= Sakura's POV**

**~Enjoy~**

"Wear your helmet, Sasuke Uchiha!" my mother called out from the door.

"Yes ma'am!" I holler back. But I lost my helmet. Only, she didn't need to know that. Her biggest worry wasn't that at all. She didn't need to know about how I met up with Pein and he suggested I join the gang, and told me he had future plans for me. He was using what he knew my weakness was: my family. I clutch the handle of the motorcycle, and close my eyes. On the bright sight of today, I get to go away from all the gang crap and go to school.

Like school is ever going to make me completely get away from the gang.

XX

"You're like so much better than them," Sai told me at my locker. I slam it shut and make a face.

"Maybe I can join the math team?" I suggest.

"You have a C in math, and you need an A," Sai reminded me. We turn around when I hear my name being called.

"Sakura!" a voice called. A voice that unfortunately sounded a lot like Sasuke Uchiha's deep hot voice. "Wait up!" I didn't wait up, I only walked faster.

Sai however, did not. He stopped and turned around. "Is he talking to you?"

"Probably not," I shrug, walking faster, "there are a lot of Sakuras in Kohoha."

"Hey! Sakura Haruno!" Sasuke calls. Can he just give it up already?

"He is talking to you!" Sai claps. "But he's so….hot. Wowza." I frown at him. Of course a gay guy would think that. "Uh, Sakura, go talk to him. He obviously wants to talk to you. Girl, you cray."

"No-" I look for Sai, but he- that traitor- is already like a hundred feet away from me, and Sasuke already caught up to me.

"Hi," Sasuke walks up to me. Why was he even talking to me? Did I not make myself clear that I had no interest in him? Maybe I need to be more harsh, like I usually am to all other guys who decide to want to talk to me and make a move on me.

"What?" I ask, annoyed with him already.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning," Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but had the barest hint of a smile. He found me amusing. Wonderful.

"Let's not ask which bed you slept in," I retort.

"Ouch," Sasuke put a hand to his heart. "You really think that low of me."

"Hanging around scum like Kiba, you bet I do," is what I wanted to say. Instead, "No."

"Well, you're not cheery for a cheerleader," Sasuke says.

"I'm not going to be a cheerleader," I correct.

"Yep, you definitely woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning," Sasuke nodded.

"No, I have been wanting to for a while," I say. I didn't like cheering much, or being with Ino much. She was bossy and liked to make my practices miserable. I held my mom's journal tighter.

I hated cheerleading, she wrote._ Me too, mom, me too._

"I was wondering if you were going to go to the beach," he says innocently. Why was a guy like Sasuke talking to a girl like me? We had nothing in common. And I think he can't take a hint. "There was one last night, but since it rained, they moved it today. I was meaning to ask if you were going."

"No," I say trying to come up with a plausible excuse, "I have…studying to do."

There was a small pause.

"Remember how you asked me about doing sports? I'm joining the basketball team," he shrugged. "It would have been nice to know at least one person that was cheering for me."

"You have Ino," I say.

"Nah, I'd rather have you," he says, and I turn around to look at him. His eyes were dancing with mischief.

"Good luck," I deadpan. "You'll need it."

"State champions five years in a row," Sasuke said. "My old school."

"As I said, good luck," I say, turning to leave.

He pulled a ribbon out of my hair. "Try outs are today. I think I'll need this for my good luck charm."

"That's- my favorite- how did-" my hands search my hair, and I wonder how he easily pulled the ribbon from my hair. And why was I thinking that was a hot thing? Because it wasn't. Not really. Okay, maybe like a speck.

"I'll give it back to you when I make it to the team," he winked- actually winkage at me, and sauntered off, looking cool with a pink ribbon in his hands.

And I am standing there gaping at him.

OO

I glance back at her, who was wearing her usual baggy t-shirt and now a pair of sweat pants. She really didn't dress to impress. And on top of that, her hair was always in a pony tail. It would have been nice to see her wearing a cheerleading outfit.

She was looking at me. No, looking was the right word. She was glaring at me. I stifle a laugh and keep walking, with her ribbon in my hand as I enter the gym to try out for basketball.

After the try outs, which the coach each told people if they made it or not, I had to go to class. "Congrats," Coach told me, nodding at me.

The day had been going great, actually. Until last period when I saw Rock Lee sitting in my seat again. I tensed up, ready to go over to Lee and show him exactly what's on my mind right now.

"Hey, you can sit here!" the blond kid, Naruto, waved over to me. I had two options. Sit with Naruto, or go over to Rock Lee and show him that he is crap.

"Get to your seats, children," my teacher, Kakashi tells us all.

I let out a little breath and decide to sit next to Naruto.

"That's right," I hear Lee say. "Sit there, East Sider."

It takes all of me not to stand up, and just punch the living daylights out of this guy. But I know I can't. My mom worked this hard for me to make amends on my previous schools. She told me she never wanted to see bruises over my body again when she saw me once, by accident, when I had my shirt off. I hated to make her worry, but sometimes it was just so hard for me not to fight. I never start them, but if need be, I will finish the fight.

"Ignore him," Naruto whispers to me. "He's not worth it."

"What was that, Lee?" Kiba asked, standing up. I glance up to see Lee also standing toe to toe with Kiba.

"I said East Siders are-" but Kiba pushes Lee anyways, and then Lee's whole posse all team up on Kiba and I can't just stand there and watch Kiba getting beaten up, so I stand up, walk to Lee and grab his shirt.

"I suggest you shut your mouth," I say in a calm voice. Lee punches me, or tries to, before I block it and tackle him to the ground. Before I can punch Lee in the face, Kakashi breaks up the fight with ease, grabbing both me and Lee off from the ground. I glance at Lee and smirk. His nose was bleeding and his face was bruised up.

"Sasuke, go to the front office now," Kakashi orders. There goes my mom not worrying.

XX

I'm sitting in the office and freaking out. I didn't do anything bad. And they called me over. I don't know why. Maybe they just want some kind of interview. I take a huge breath when I hear the door open and see someone I didn't want to see. Actually, I'm not surprised to see him here at all.

"Hey," Sasuke says to me like we know each other and not like we just met each like two days. Okay, well yes, I did know him a few years back, but still I didn't actually know _know _him. He was just that guy that asked me to dance and I refused.

"What are you doing here?" I hiss.

"I'm running away," he deadpanned. I looked over at him to see if he was joking or not, but he only smirked.

"Real smart doing it at the principal's office," I comment.

"What about you? What are you doing here? Did something bad?" he asked.

"None of your business," I say tightly. When really I have no idea.

"I bet you did," he whispered before Principal Tsunade called us _both_ over. Why us both? There was nothing I did to Sasuke, or anything he did to me. Was Tsunade a mind reader now? Or did the school cameras catch Sasuke stealing my ribbon? That had to be it. Theft was a crime. And Sasuke committed it. That was the only thing that was logical.

"Sakura you are going to tutor Sasuke, okay?" Tsunade says, getting right to the point. I look at her blankly. No. No way. No flippin way. Not him. Anyone but him. Heck, I'd take Naruto before I take him.

"I don't need tutoring," Sasuke tells her.

"No, you don't really," Tsunade says, "but maybe it will get you out of trouble. Since you're new, I am giving you a warning, and you're dismissed." Sasuke stands up, and looks at me for a second before leaving.

"Thank you," he says, almost sounding sincere.

"As for you Sakura," Tsunade looks over at me. "I want you to make sure he stays out of trouble, you hear me? You're a star student, and I trust you will make Sasuke stay away from any kind of trouble. He has a huge history on that."

"So you want me to help him?" I ask weakly. I knew it. He was a gangbanger.

"Be his friend, have a positive influence on him. And he will be tutored, on history," Tsunade says. "That's all I need from you."

I walk out of there. "Tutoring me," Sasuke says, making me jump, as he peels himself from the side of the principal's door. Why was he waiting for me? "Interesting."

"Seems like you need some history lessons," I say.

"Take care of me," Sasuke looks over at me and I narrow my eyes.

"Why were _you_ doing here?" I ask. "And don't tell me running away."

"I tackled someone to the ground," Sasuke shrugs like it's no big deal. He opens the door for me, which I thought was kind of nice.

"How nice. I'm sure they loved that," I say sarcastically.

"He had it coming," Sasuke tells me.

We both stop in front of some lockers. "I want my ribbon back," I say.

OO

Sakura is glaring at me again. It seems like I can never make this woman happy or pleased. She is either scowling at me or glaring or both. I want to see her smile for a change, but it's fun to see her squirm and tease her. So might as well. "Oh," I dig through my pocket, "this," I look at the ribbon and then at her, grinning, "really works. I think I'll keep it."

"Wha-" Sakura opens her mouth and then shuts it. "Give it back. Theif. I see where your life is headed." I crack a grin, and then stop cold. I was here about to be dealing drugs, and she was worried about me being a thief. I would never do anything like stealing. It goes against anything I believe in. And I hope she doesn't think I'm _that_ type of guy.

"Okay, okay," Sakura shrugs suddenly. "Since you obviously suck and really need it badly that you have to steal, I guess we can make a deal."

"Deal?" I ask. "My favorite."

"Next basketball game. If you lose, you'll have to give it back," Sakura says.

"And if I win?" I ask.

"If you win…" Sakura taps her finger with her chin. "What do you want?"

"A date," I automatically say.

"You know there are other ways you can ask a person to a date. Like 'Sakura, you're the best person in the world and you're the most beautiful, greatest person ever, could you please do me the highest honor and go out with me?' type of thing," she says. I open my mouth, but the guy from the other day, Sai, comes in and wraps his arm around Sakura and I want to punch him in the face. Forget about Lee. This guy has it coming.

"Come on babe, let's go," Sai says to her. I look at them together. Are they together?

"You won't have to worry, I'll win," I tell Sakura, but I wasn't looking at her. This Sai guy really irked me.

"We'll see," she says to me, going off with Sai.

Oh, we'll see indeed. This makes me even more determined to win that basketball. I have all the motivation I need.

XX

"Ohmygosh," I punch Sai in the arms once we're out of earshot. "Seriously, what a show you put!"

"Operation make-Sauske-think-you're-dating-me, I have everything under control," Sai shrugs.

"I think he believes that," I say smugly. _Muahaha._ But I swallow. That deal we just made. I don't know about it at all. Or why I even made it. I was feeling a little light headed.

"Uh, yeah, he does. Did you see how he wanted to chop my head off with his bare fists?" Sai gulped. "Let's just hope he doesn't use his gangbanger ways on me."

"Apparently he isn't one," I say, not sure if I completely believe it.

OO

"Yo, Sasuke," Kiba meets me at the parking lot after school finished. "Thanks man, you did help me back there, like a real brother."

"No, I just saw that you were getting your butt handed to you," I tell him coolly. I didn't want him to think we were members or brother of any kind.

"Sure," Kiba said. "But in time, Sasuke, I see you already have it in you. To be like your brother and your father. A member of the Akatsuki gang, one of the most well known gangs."

"You don't know me at all," I say.

"Then what is this drug deal Pein keeps talking about? He says you're going to do it, and I'm part of that too," Kiba informs me.

"That," I say under my breath, "is a one time thing."

"It runs in the Uchiha blood to be in the Akatsuki," Kiba tells me. "Remember that. No matter how hard you try to stay away from it, you will always be on their watch and you will always have the option to join. One of these days, you'll soon realize that you were meant to join."

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**Haven't updated in a long while, but please stay with me.**

**Everyone's inputs are appreciated! I need to know how I'm doing with this so review! **


	4. Chapter 4

I slammed my locker shut and was greeted by Sasuke. What did he want now?

"Hey tutor," he smiled charmingly. "When are we going to meet up?"

"How about never?" I suggest, turning around. "You're history grade is a 98. I don't think you need tutoring." I did my research on his history grades, and I think the scheming principal of ours just wants Sasuke to stay out of trouble. That's probably why he came to this school. Because he got in some kind of trouble, and our principal wanted me to help him not stay out of trouble. How can I do that exactly? I wasn't given a manual to handle gang members.

"Ah, so you're breaking orders," Sasuke gave me a wicked smile, "I like that." I did not want to do anything that Sasuke liked intentionally.

"For your information, I just need to keep an eye on you," I say, clearing my throat when I saw a glimpse of Kiba. Why did I have to see him almost every day? He was a constant reminder of my heart break. A guy that I thought I loved.

"Hey babe," Sai, doing his fake act of a boyfriend, went beside me, and put his arm around me. "Missed you, even though I saw you a minute ago."

I muster up my most fake smile. "Me too," I say, looking up at Sai, and willing myself not to laugh.

Sasuke is looking at Sai, like guys do to other guys, and even though Sai is a little taller than Sasuke, Sasuke is way more built than Sai. Sai is scrawny with chicken legs.

Suddenly, it got really awkward.

"Well Sakura," Sasuke says, looking at Sai, and not me. "Remember our deal when I win the basketball game next Friday."

How can I forget? I've been praying they lose.

He walks in the same direction I'm walking, which is gym class.

"Deal? You never said you made a deal with the new hunk," Sai looks at me.

"It's nothing. Not like he's going to win-" I enter, and see a crowd surrounding Sasuke, who's in the end of the basketball court while holding a basketball and aiming it at the opposite end of the court. He shoots. And doesn't miss. Then he's handed another ball and shows off by doing a dunk. The crowd goes crazy, and I look at Sai.

"He's not going to win?" Sai laughs. "Okay, we'll see."

I leave Sai at the gym door and make my way to where the gym teacher, Killer Bee, is. He tells us our partners for the exercise. "Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha, yo," he shouts. I want to be sucked in a hole. I look up and see Sasuke's intense onyx eyes already looking at me. He gives me a megawatt grin, and I heat up, looking away.

"So can you play basketball?" Sasuke walks out of the gym, going to the outside court.

Not in the least. "Yeah, of course," I lie. I've touched a basketball…two times in my life. One was to hand it back to a person. The other was in elementary school when I had no choice but to play basketball for the day.

Why out of all fifty students in the class, did I have to get paired up with Sasuke? I just had bad luck.

He passes me the ball. "Can you dunk it?" he challenges me.

I'll show him.

OO

I did not see her tripping down. It was funny because I did not see her as the clumsy type. I tried to stifle my laughter but she only scowled at me, sitting on the ground, looking really adorable there. And the way her face turns red is so cute.

"Sorry, sorry," I put my hand down to help her, but she doesn't take it and gets up herself, and I can't say I'm surprised. "Are you okay?" I look at her with all seriousness.

"My knee isn't," she says, looking down, and I wince when I see blood. I'm not laughing anymore, and want to help her.

"You can come to-"

"I'll be leaving now," she says, making my heart drop a little. Her whole demeanor screams for me to not even try to help when she makes her way to the locker room.

"Feel better," I call out to her. She doesn't look back though.

"Hey! Uchiha!" Kiba comes to me and scowls, looking at the direction Sakura went. "Was that Haruno?"

"Yeah," I am still looking at where she left.

"Dude, don't even try to be with her," Kiba said. "She's not worth it. And besides, there are plenty of girls in the gang that think you're a looker. You should see if you're interested. You know, keep your options open. All of them are hot, trust me." I glance over at him, a little curious about how it panned out with him and Sakura. It did seem like they had some history together, and I wondered how Sakura could like Kiba when she shows no interest in anyone. Except Sai. How could she go from a total bad boy to a total wimpy geeky guy like Sai? Maybe I needed to show her my geeky side.

"Nah," I say, dribbling the ball. I was only interested in one pink haired feisty girl who probably couldn't stand me.

"Okay…weirdo," Kiba looks at me like I am retarded and shakes his head. "There's going to be a gang fight tonight." Rumbles* were messy especially when the police came. I didn't need to get myself involved with the authorities again.

Tonight I also heard Sakura was going to be at the beach. "Not interested," I say as I shoot the basketball perfectly into the hoop and I love the _swish_ sound.

"You're good," Kiba comments at my shooting. "What about your fighting?"

I grab another basketball and couldn't help but smile. Fighting was one thing that was second nature to me. Once, back when Itachi was still in his gang ways, he left me to get beaten up by seven guys from another gang. I don't know why he left me. But that day, I was banged up really badly that my mom completely freaked out and I couldn't go out- even though at night I did when she didn't know. I could never forget my mom's face when she saw me, bleeding and barely breathing. Ever since I got beaten up by a pulp, and learned the hard way of fighting from Itachi, I fought all the time. With everyone. Almost every single day. Now that I think about it, I was pretty hot headed and stupid, like Itachi was. I wanted to stay away from fighting as much as I can now. There was no need to make my mom upset again. And now since Itachi got out of the Akatsuki gang, he hated to fight too. But that was the funny thing- I looked up to him when he was a gang member, and a very admirable one at that. Everyone in the gang loved him. He was the best, and I remember I always wanted to be like Itachi. Join the gang and be a fighter like him.

Funny how things changed so fast for Itachi and for me.

XX

After school, I get to my house with Sai, and I log into my Facebook and am surprised that I got a friend request from Sasuke. Sai leans in next to me and claps. "Add him!" Sai exclaims, making a beeline for the mouse and clicking add. I glare at him. That was not what I wanted.

"What did you do that for? Now he'll think that I think that he's considered some sort of friend," I cry, "which we are so not."

"Oh please. Sasuke is the definition of hot. Oh -look! He wrote on your wall!" Sai took total control over the mouse and read it. "'How is your knee?' Aww, he is so sweet." Sai clapped his hand.

"No, he is not," I say. "The reason why I even got my knee hurt was because of him."

"What should I put?" Sai muses.

"Tell him-" but Sai was already typing away and would not let me look.

"There. Done." Sai looks up at me and grins. "You'll thank me later." I look at what I- or, in reality Sai, commented and he wrote:

**Why don't you come over and kiss it?**

I want to scream. I want to jump off a window. I want to throw the computer at the wall. I want to punch Sai in the face.

"DELETE IT!" I yell at him frantically, waving my arms as if the comment would suddenly disappear.

"Too late he probably already read it," Sai shrugs like it's no big deal. When it is. The last thing I need is for Sasuke getting any ideas about us. Because there was no us. At all. None. Zilch. Nada.

I rub my temples. On the bright side, he just might take it as a stupid little joke. Because that was what is was. A dumb little joke. Hopefully he saw it that way.

"So are we going to the beach or not?" Sai asks me.

"I don't think I have another choice in the matter," I say.

"Don't you know it," Sai smiles and looks at my closet. "What are you going to wear?"

By the time Sai tries to pick an outfit for me, an hour passes and we arrive at the beach, where people are already there, having a big bonfire.

I greet Hinata, who is in my history class. She's nice but real quiet. "H-hi," Hinata says. She glances at someone and I see it's no other than the idiot class clown of ours in history, Naruto. Who didn't know who the first president was. He smiles at Hinata and I see her turn beet red, and I see her actually swaying.

"Ack!" I catch her just in time before she falls. What the heck was that? Did Naruto actually have some power over her to make her freaking faint? Man, she had it bad for him. I wonder what Naruto possessed that made Hinata like him. I know for a fact that they barely talk.

"Sakura! What- oh, what happened to her?" Sai looks at Hinata's limp body. "It's always the quiet ones that party the hardest."

"No, she didn't faint because of that," I correct, handing her to Sai. "Take her to her cousin." I gesture to Neji, who was sitting down, and he seemed like he was meditating.

"On it," Sai leaves with Hinata, and I'm standing there alone. Ino was acting weird and more flirty from a distance, but when I saw why, I groaned inwardly. Sasuke Uchiha decided to come here too. And Ino was trying to show off.

He was standing over by the cooler when Ino comes up to him and nudges him with her elbow to move him aside. Purposely, he cuts back in front of her and she pushes at him jokingly, and they keep tussling for space in front of the cooler, laughing and saying things I can't hear.

Not that I really cared. I turned away, looking away from them when I hear a voice. "Hey," Sasuke comes over to me. Just what I didn't need.

"Hi," I look for an exit, but then he does something that I never in my lifetime imagined he would do. He slides down towards my feet, looks up at me with his deep, intense eyes, leans down and kisses my band aid. "Does that feel better?"

My heart stills for a second. He _did _read the stupid comment. "Not really," I say, knowing I totally killed the moment, stepping back. Why did I think that was even hot? It wasn't. Or so I keep telling myself. But why was I red and flustered? How comes this guy had an effect on me?

He laughs and gets up. "Worth a shot," he grins at me. No, it was not worth a shot. Who would even do that? It was just some silly thing that I-or Sai- put.

"W-whatever," I stammer, my face still heating up. I need to get away from him. I stop cold when I see Kiba walking our way, and it is a reminder of why I don't like Sasuke, or can't like him. Sasuke was just like Kiba- a gang member. Sasuke turns around and sees what I'm looking at.

"Yo Sasuke, are you going or not?" Kiba asks. Sasuke glances at me and I don't even want to know what they're talking about.

"Actually," Sasuke tells Kiba, "I am." He looks at me for a split second before stepping towards Kiba, and walking away with him. For some reason, I feel a little hollow, and I feel I should stop him.

From doing whatever he is about to do.

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**Writing this is actually really fun.**

**Thank you for everyone who review! Ya'll are my motivation:)**

***Rumble= slang term for a gang fight.**


	5. Chapter 5

"What the heck?" Itachi shouts at me when he sees me. "Is this what you really want Sasuke?"

"Let me just stay here for a day or two," I groan.

"You can talk to Mom yourself," Itachi looks at me, obviously disappointed. I hate disappointing the people I care about. Especially Itachi. "I don't even know why…" He looks at my busted lip and smirks. "I hope it hurts."

Does it ever.

"Well it does, thanks for being concerned," I say.

"A gang fight," Itachu mumbles to himself. "You are insane. You're not even in-" Itachi turns to me sharply, "tell me you're not in with the Akatsuki."

"You caught me. Yesterday I was initiated into the gang and they beat me up," I flat out lie to him. But he catches it.

"If you are, they rest assured foolish little brother, that you are not doing yourself a favor," Itachi left the room, slamming the door shut, leaving me alone.

Maybe I did mess up. Maybe it was the part of me that still loved to get that adrenaline rush, and fighting provided that for me. I take out the pink ribbon that I borrowed from Sakura and smile. It was lucky. Usually I would have gotten a swollen eye or bruised up face. But I just got a little scab on my lip.

Yesterday was too fun though. When I get into fights, it never ceases to get me all pumped up.

When I get to school, the first person to notice is Naruto. "Dude, what happened?" Naruto laughs at me when he sees my lip. I punch him in the shoulder.

"A vase fell on me," I say to him, and he laughs even more, but then gets serious.

"Sasuke…" he starts, but I think I know where this is going.

"It's nothing," I assure him, and am greeted by Kiba, who unlike me, was not lucky and had a bruised cheek. He grins when he sees me.

"That was awesome, bro," Kiba says. "Me and a couple of other people are going by the river court to play some basketball, you should come sometime."

"Definitely," I agree, and make my way to my locker when Ino, the blondie from before comes up to me and smiles at me. I've been catching her stare at me and wink, and do that hair flipping thing girls do. Yeah, Ino is pretty, but I have someone else in mind.

XX

"Did you-" Sai asks me, but I cut him off as we walked by our lockers in the morning at school.

"Yes, I did," I interrupt.

"Good," Sai says, and he looks at something. "If only I have the courage to say hi to him."

I turn back to see what Sai was looking at and want to pretend I never saw him, but I had a nice full view of him.

One look at him and I want to punch him myself. Seriously. The principal gives me the easy task of making sure he stays out of trouble, and guess what happens, he probably got into trouble. Ugh, I am so stupid. When he was leaving with Kiba, I should have stopped him. I wondered if I could have even stopped him.

Sasuke freakin' Uchiha was by his locker, talking to Ino, who was obviously flirting with him, and it seemed like he was flirting right back and I saw a cut on his lip. And I saw Kiba's black eye.

It was now or never, Sakura.

"Don't wait for me, Sai," I say to him, shoving a book to him as I make my way towards Sasuke. "Sasuke," I say, going up to him. He turns towards me, and looks really surprised to see me. Good. The element of surprise always works, or so I think it does.

He breaks out into a megawatt smile. "Hey," he says, shutting his locker and never leaving his gaze from me, completely ignoring the batting eyelashes of Ino, which kind of impressed me. No one could withstand the charms and looks of Ino.

"A word with you," I don't even care who's looking, but I grab his hand, and much to my surprise he doesn't struggle. He goes along with me to the janitor's room.

"What is it?" he asks, but I think he already knows what it is. "I mean you wanting to come to the janitor room, I got to say Haruno, I knew this would be happening sooner or later. You just can't resist my charming self." I snort inwardly.

Who were we talking about that was charming? "What happened to your lip?" I ask, disregarding his comment and getting to the point.

"A vase fell on my face," he replies, but I can see his lips itching to twitch.

"Yeah right," I say. I don't even know what I'm doing. I don't even know if I can even help him. It is best to stay away from the likes of him. He's trouble. It's written all over his face and especially his dark eyes, and the way they're dancing right now.

"Sorry to disappoint you too, Sakura. I guess you were right. I am that kind of guy," Sasuke says, he makes his way to leave, but I grab his hand before he can leave.

"No," I let out. "You're not." He slowly turns towards me and our eyes meet, a spark of electricity running through me. My heart is pounding. My gosh, he _is _good looking. Sai did know what he was talking about. Tall, dark and handsome. "I," I swallow, "wanted to see if you were going to prove me wrong. And I am hoping you can prove me wrong." I want to cover my mouth. No, this was a perfect opportunity for me to just let him go, and for him to never bother be again. But… But what? Why did I not want him to leave me this way?

He looks at me for a full minute, and we don't talk. It's not awkward, neither was it comfortable. "I see," he looks at our hands, and I realize I'm still holding onto his hand which was warm on mine, and think that for some reason as if I let him go that he'll go, and I would never have my chance. _Of what?_ My chance with what?

Why am I doing this? I don't like him. Or I don't think I do. He was arrogant, cocky, really conceited, and most importantly, probably a gang member.

He lets go, and places my hand on his chest and looks deeply into me, "Then I hope you can take care of me, Sakura. You know, if you're going to take me aside when I'm behaving badly, I just might start behaving even worse. Just to get attention from you."

Okay, that did it.

I release my grip from him and give him a dirty look, opening the door, walking out, turn back to give him one last glare and stalk off.

But the way he said my name…that was swoon worthy.

OO

I was smiling like an idiot the whole day. I don't even know why the whole day. After she left the janitor's room, I couldn't help but smile. She cared about me. I think. I'm pretty sure she did. She could deny it, but I know I had some effect on her.

So I might have a chance with her. That made me happy for the whole day even though I knew I was going to face my mom after school.

I had flings with girls. There was this one girl who I thought I actually liked, but it turned out that she was cheating on me with my supposedly best friend. Another time, way back before Itachi was even married, a girl I was dating for half a year was just dating me to get to Itachi, and that got me mad at Itachi which led us to a full out brawl between brothers, but in the end we sorted it out and I thought I was done with relationships. Because that didn't happen one time.

"Uchiha! Stop grinning like a fool, and come over here!" Naruto calls out to me.

"Whats up?" I ask.

"There's a party tonight at the beach again," Naruto tells me. "Want to go?"

"Is Sakura going?" I ask.

"Uh.." Naruto gives me an uneasy look. "Probably not."

"Not interested then," I shrug, and get ready to prepare to face the wrath of my mother when she sees my lip. Maybe I can cover it…

XX

A week past since my encounter with Sasuke at the janitor's closet, and I haven't spoken to him and avoided him at all costs. I think I was probably on something when I told him those things. It was after school and Sai's arm was around me. "Hottie at one o clock," Sai whispers, and I see that it's Sasuke, who's looking like he wants to beat someone up. I think that someone would be Sai.

"Oh, baby, you're the best," Sai nearly yells so that Sasuke can hear me. I swat him in the chest.

"You are just doing the most, Sai," I laugh.

"I aim to please," Sai sniffs. "Even though I think that one of these days, I'm going to get beaten up by him."

"He wouldn't dare," I say.

"Yeah, he looks at me like he wants to punch my face," Sai chuckles. "Too bad a hunk thinks that of me."

"Yup, that's too bad," I say, and turn around, when I see Sasuke coming towards me.

"Are you coming to the basketball game?" Sasuke asks me, like we never not had a conversation in a week.

"So I'll see you lose? Don't think so," I reply.

"Mmm, I don't think so," he tells me. "Remember, I have a good luck charm."

"That you'll be returning after you lose the game," I say.

"Where's your school spirit?" he asks me, pretending to be hurt. "You were a cheerleader."

"Yes, I was one," I say. "Now I don't have to support a losing team."

"Ah, but your team never had me in it," he says. "So, you'll never know unless you watch me."

We're looking at each other, and I look away. "I want my ribbon back first thing tomorrow."

"Sorry to say you're going to be disappointed when we win," Sasuke says, and the bell rings.

After school, I'm home in my room, away from everyone getting pumped up for the game; I get a call from Sai. "Basketball game!" he yells.

"No," I automatically say.

"Uh, yes, a hundred times yes," Sai says. "Don't tell me you're going to read while we're all out here watching Sasuke be hot and play?"

"Don't feel like it," I say.

"Honey, you better feel like it," Sai is at my balcony, I see him through the window. That idiot climbed the tree to get there.

"Sai," I warn, hanging up on him, "we are not going to argue further."

"Uh, yeah, we are," Sai says. "Come on, deary, your prince awaits you."

"I'm not going," I laugh at Sai's bowing.

"Your carriage awaits," Sai says.

I cross my arms. "Not. Going. Now leave before I push you off the balcony."

"Oh, the horror!" Sai says. "You wouldn't dare, you demonic demon, you."

"You can have fun without me," I say.

"But who's going to listen to me go on about how hot Sasuke is, all sweaty and playing basketball-"

"I'd rather read," I say. Sai narrows his eyes at me.

"I get it," he walks in and props himself to my bed.

"Get…what?" I ask.

"I mean, I know you do not want to be with your stepmother and your father yet you chose to be in your room on a Friday night reading a book. You're afraid, Haruno. Afraid that he really is going to lose."

"I'm going to be happy when they lose," I say.

"Nope, you're afraid because you really, truly, in the darkest depths of your dark, dark, heart, you want to go out on that date with Sasuke Uchiha," Sai says. "I know because I _know_ I want to."

"I don't," I say.

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too, do too. Sakura wants them to win so she can go on a magical date with the most magical person in the most magical-"

"If you stop saying magical, I'll go," I say.

"Done. Deal," Sai lets out his hand. "Now, let's shake on it. Because I think I'm making a deal with the devil."

"Okay, but Sai? Next time, you can just use the door," I say.

"But it is more adventurous to climb the tree," Sai says.

"My stepmother thinks you're some kind of burglar," I say, getting my purse.

When we get to the school gym, it is packed. Filled with people. Me and Sai make our way to an open seat, and the game already was going on. I unconsciously looked for Sasuke, probably because he was the only one I knew on the team. Or so I told myself that.

He did look good in his black and red jersey, holding a basketball and shooting, which the ball went in. It was 52-0. We were winning.

Crap.

We were winning.

I didn't want that to happen, contrary to Sai's weird beliefs.

"I wonder where Sasuke takes his dates," Sai says.

"He probably forgot our deal," I say, though hanging from Sasuke's short pocket, is my pink ribbon. I see that Ino was screaming her butt off, and every time Sasuke made a shot, she would always step up and wave at him, and blow him a kiss. One time, when he was at her vicinity, I even saw her giving him a hug. Gag me please.

"I doubt that," Sai says. Sasuke makes another dunk.

"He's so cocky sometimes, he reminds me of me," says a man next to me. I look at him, and see a guy with dark hair, and dark eyes, similar to Sasuke. The man catches me staring. "That show off dunker is my brother," he smiles at me. "Know him?"

"Do we ever," Sai says, looking at the man. "We're his number one fans."

"You are?" the man raises an eyebrows and still smiles. "I'm Itachi Uchiha."

"Sai, and Sakura here," Sai says for me. "Your brother is really good."

"He is," Itachi agrees, "and I'm not saying that because he's my brother."

After we win the game, much to my disappointment, the crowd runs to the basketball field, and I run outside.

OO

"I saw your number one fans today," Itachi tells me at the car. There was an after party, but I wanted to go later.

"Oh yeah?" I say, smiling, though he probably was joking. As of that game, the whole cheerleading squad was my fans. None who interested me.

"Sakura and Sai, know them?" Itachi asks, which bolts me right up the seat.

"Who?" I don't believe it, and a huge grin spreads across my face. She came to the game even though she said she wasn't.

"They were sitting next to me," Itachi says, "and they told me that they were your number one fans."

"They didn't say that," I say, not believing it, but wanting to. Sakura actually came? Did that mean something? It had to.

"Nope, they did tell me that," Itachi says. "You have a pretty pink haired follower, little brother."

Oh man, Sakura was not going to live this down.

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** I seriously really enjoy writing this. Even though I should be writing my other Sasu/Saku fanfic, this one is really fun to write. Even though I should be studying….**

**The 5****th**** chapter- tell me how I did and review(:**


	6. Chapter 6

OO

I'm grabbing a piece of blueberry bagel from the toaster when I see that it burnt. I frown and turn to at least get a glass of milk before I go to school, but stop when I see Itachi leaning on the wall in the kitchen entrance.

"Sasuke," Itachi says my name- not in a good way. "I'm serious. Stay away from them." I swallow. I wish I can tell him, but I can't. Pein has me on a tight leash. I can't do anything that would jeopardize my mom or Itachi's safety. If they want me on the gang and blackmail me, so be it. I'll join in a heartbeat.

I see Itachi still watching me from his sorrowful eyes. "I'm fine," I say, but I can tell that he's thinking about his best friend Shisui who died in a gang fight. Itachi isn't usually on me like this on a tight leash, but he must have heard something from someone, and he's trying his best in his brotherly way to warn me.

"Yeah?" Itachi asks me. "When I got a phone call from your teacher, Kakashi about that whole thing, I don't think you were fine."

"I-"

"I don't even want to hear it Sasuke," Itachi interrupts me. "You're not to associate with anyone wanting to fight. Which includes that no good Kiba guy."

"Well what if they punch me first? What am I supposed to do? Let the guy beat me up? Because you can be sure I will-"

"Tell the teacher," Itachi suggests. "Just don't fight in school."

"Of course," I don't fight in school. I fight in the streets. There is a difference.

"Or at all," Itachi gives me a warning look.

"Yeah, yeah," I say, waving him off.

"That Naruto guy seemed nice," Itachi says. I pour myself some milk and chug. "Your old friends called me."

I nearly choke on the milk.

"Really?" I ask, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. Jugo and Suigetsu were coming?

"They said Karin wants to tag along too," Itachi says, smirking. He knows how much I dislike her. We tried dating, but it just didn't happen. It couldn't happen. There was nothing. For me, at least. Then I figured out how annoying she could be. She loved talking about herself, and only herself and occasionally how perfect my skin was. As if I wanted to hear that all day.

"Yep. And I think you should be going," Itachi says looking at the watch. "You have a couple of minutes to get to first period. Better run, little brother."

"Thanks again, Itachi!" I yell as I make my way to my motorcycle and grab my helmet, which Itachi bought for me after he screamed at me first, then gave it to me.

I never will understand Itachi.

XX

"Date with Sasuke," Sai sang to me, spreading out his arms as if he was going to fly in the hallways at school.

"He forgot," I say, hoping he did and then hoping he didn't. "I bet he makes best with all kinds of girls."

"Date with Sasukeeee," Sai was still singing. "I wish I was on that date. Oh wait, hey can I be a third wheel? Actually, no I don't want to be a third wheel because then I would feel like an outsider when the only hot guy is going to be staring at you all the time."

"You're not serious? You won't come?" I ask hopefully.

"Psh, of course not, girlfriend," Sai says, snapping his finger at me.

"Do not snap your fingers at me," I grin at him, and he winks.

"But you have to enjoy your date with hottie mchottie. How can you not?" Sai asks. "At least kiss him first if he doesn't kiss you."

"Sai, what part of I don't want to be in a relationship with a gang member do you not understand?" I ask.

"I don't think it's just a gang member, Haruno," Sai says. "Ever since Kiba, you haven't been on a date."

"I can go on a date," I scoff.

"Oh yeah?" Sai laughs. "Ha. No you won't."

Suddenly, Rock Lee comes to me. "Hey, Sakura? I was wondering if you'd come to the Pizza Parlor with me sometime. As you know, as a date. With me. Together."

I'm looking at Sai, as if this were a sign.

Rock Lee was cute enough. If you looked at him at the right angle, he was cute, like a puppy.

"Sure," I grin, looking at Sai, "I would love to."

"Great," Rock Lee smiles at me and walks off.

"Wow, maybe I do have that charm," I say.

"With those clothes, I don't even see how," Sai says. He's angry at me for not wanting to dress up at school. I always wear baggy pants and baggy jeans or sweat pants. It's kind of a way to rebel to my parents, who are all the time prim and proper and care what people think of them. I tell them that if they don't like the way I dress it doesn't mean anything, it doesn't define me as a person. Of course my step mother and my father went a little berserk, and my step mother always buys me dresses, which in my opinion are just not made for public. They're short and just…I don't want to wear them. And Sai, who says I have curves and actual assets, is very disappointed that he can't go shopping with me to dress me up. He says it's some kind of dream of his for me to dress up one day.

Sai claps his hand.

"Oh- but wait! You're going on a date, which means dress up!" Sai exclaims, jumping up and down. "This made my day. Oh, this is a sign! Yes, a sign. Even though I'm still wondering why Lee, out of everyone in the whole galaxy, asked you out. Well, he had been making some faces at your way when I notice him. Sakura, you went from dateless to two dates!"

"I told you," I say, "Sasuke probably forgot."

"Doubtful, my pink haired friend, highly doubtful," Sai says. We reach my locker. "Anywhoo, I have to go to the media center to print something out, see you later gorgeous!" Sai blows me a kiss and I get all my things I need for my class.

"So," I hear a deep voice beside me, Sasuke walks up to me to my locker, and he's grinning at me wickedly.

I do not like that look one little bit.

"Where were you yesterday?" he asks me.

"My house," I say, looking in my bag, even though there is nothing to look for because I already have everything.

"The whole time after school?" Sasuke asks again.

I laugh fakely. "What is this, twenty questions?"

Sasuke crosses his arms, looking smug. I want to wipe that smugness off his face. "Well, you see, I think there was this beautiful girl at the basketball game that came." My breath hitched. What beautiful girl? Ino? Was this what he wanted to talk about? He really didn't know I was there? But the way he was looking at me, I think he knows.

"Oh yeah?" I say, not looking at his impossible dark eyes.

"Mhmm, and get this," he says leaning in a little, "she said we were going to lose, and she wasn't going to come to the game."

Okay, that was definitely me.

"Number one fan, huh?" he asks, smirking and looking at me adoringly. Like _he_ was _my_ fan. I had to say, it was really hot. Not that I'd ever admit it to him. Or to anyone.

"Sai is, not me," I quickly say. He quirks an eyebrow.

"But you came," he states. "That's what's important."

"Trust me, I was forced," I say. "More like kidnapped."

"Yeah, yeah, the details," Sasuke keeps looking at me. He looks like he wants to say something.

The bell rang.

I turned around to get to class, but stopped when he called out my name. "Yeah?" I ask.

"I still think you secretly are my number one fan. Don't worry though," Sasuke winks at me, yes, winks at me and I hate to say it looks really cute, "I won't tell anyone." I open mouth to tell him off, but he's already gone with the crowd.

And all my stupid self can think of is: _he called me beautiful._

OO

"Sasuke," my mother is looking at me after school. "If you go to this silly beach party, will you do your homework?" She's looking at me from the kitchen as I'm standing next to the couch, ready to leave the house. Itachi and Lisa are sitting on the couch, reading a book.

"Yes ma'am," I say.

"Don't 'yes ma'am' me, mister. I have not forgotten about your eye which you say you got when a vase fell on your face," she is glaring at me.

"Sorry, but it can happen," I say.

My mom is rubbing her temples. "You are to the beach party….with some girl?" she asks me.

"Actually, no," I say, and I hear Itachi laughing. "What is so funny?"

"He has a girl, mother," Itachi says.

"Really?" Lisa is looking at me from the couch like I'm going to tell her everything about the girl I like. Sorry, not happening.

"No," I lie, not wanting my mom to ask any more questions. I mean, it's not like I have her, or that she's my girlfriend. That wasn't happening. Or so Sakura thought. But even though she hates me, I'm not going to give up. Give up was not in my vocabulary and I didn't know when to quit. I'm not going to with Sakura. I am going to make her like me. How? Well, that's what I'm still trying to figure out.

"He does," Itachi goes on, "and let me say, she sure is pretty."

"Awww," both my mother and Lisa coo. I roll my eyes.

"Let him go, mother," Itachi says. "He looks like he's going to burst."

"Please," I tell my mother. "I'm going to wash the dishes for a whole day!"

"You don't even last five minutes when you start looking at the fridge," my mother says. I may not wash the dishes, but I do cook, clean the house and mow the lawn. "You cannot come later than 11, understood?"

"Yes," I kiss her forehead, grabbing my motorcycle helmet that Itachi bought for me newly.

"Good luck with the girl!" Itachi calls out when I leave the house.

Yeah, I think I'm going to need all the luck I can get.

XX

I can't even believe I came to this stupid beach party. I would rather be reading or watching some movies with Sai. But nooooo. Sai suggested we come here and party.

"Don't look like you're smelling something horrendous," Sai said to me, sitting next to me on the bench as I'm watching some people at our school around the fire that they made, talking and laughing and looking like they're having the times of their lives. Then there's me. I do believe there is something wrong with me. Why can't I be a normal person and walk up there, grab a cup and talk to someone?

Maybe because I'm an awkward person.

"Oooh, I know, you're thinking about your date with Lee," Sai says.

"Oh yeah. That," I say.

"He seems nice," Sai says.

Then we both look at each other and crack up.

"Yeah," I snort, "real nice. I'm sure I'll have a grand time."

"I know I will," Sai tells me. "I already picked out this perfect, perfect dress for you to wear on your date. I know you'd hate it, so naturally I had to get it for you."

We're watching as Ino is talking to 5 guys at the same time. Laughing. Flipping her hair. Batting her eyelashes. How does she do it? Her flirting skills comes like breathing.

"Let's go to our soon to be couple," Sai says as we get up. "Hinata told me, not in so many words, but enough so that I could understand, she likes Naruto. I'm trying to get them together."

"And so far?" I ask.

"Minor complications," Sai says. "If she's near him, she faints or turns red, or runs the other direction."

"Maybe you should let them pan out for themselves," I say, and we both glance as Hinata is with the school's weirdo, Shino who knows more about bugs than he does anything else, watching Naruto as he's talking to some other guy.

"Yeah, and wait for a million years?" Sai looks at me. "Not happening." We're still looking at them, observing people, when I hear someone.

"Hey number one fan," I hear a deep voice say behind me. Sai gives me a suggestive look, and squeezes my shoulder, nodding to me as he leaves.

I turn to Sasuke.

"Bye," I tell him sweetly.

"Wait," he steps in front of me.

What is with this guy? Can he not take a hint? Maybe I haven't been giving him a lot of hints lately.

"What is it Sasuke? I have more important things to do," I say. Even though being at a dumb beach party isn't all that important and you can't really be doing anything important unless you count making out or getting drunk.

"Of course," he tells me, grinning. "But I have to tell you something."

"You're going to give my ribbon back?" I ask hopefully.

"You're kidding right? You lost the bet," Sasuke shakes his head. "I'm keeping it. It really is lucky."

"You're delusional. A piece of fabric cannot be considered lucky. Especially since you stole it, if I remember correctly," I retort.

"But I won the basketball game," he says, shaking his finger at me. "And you know what that means."

He remembered. Crap. Yay. Nay. No. I shouldn't be happy. This was a sad moment. I have been hoping he forgot. That's a bad thing, I tell myself. Very bad thing.

I try to play dumb. I know it doesn't look cute, and that is exactly why I'm going to do it in front of Sasuke. "That you're actually an above average basketball player and you don't completely suck?"

He's still grinning at me. "You didn't forget about the deal. In fact, I think when you were watching me that was the only thing on your mind."

"I was rooting for the other team, for your information," I say.

"A deal's a deal. Tell me you don't back down from them," he says.

"Of course not," I say. "Let's just get it over with."

"Get what over with?" he asks.

"Our date," I tell him, scoffing, but then stop when I realized I just fell into his trap.

"Aha, so you do remember," he's still smiling at me. He needed to stop smiling. It was contagious and hot and I wanted to slap myself.

"The absence of my pink ribbon is a constant reminder," I assure him, turning a little red.

"You're so cute when you blush," he tells me.

"I- I'm not blushing," I say. Need to get away from this guy. Need to get away. Red alert: this guy is hot and dangerous. Bad combination, Sakura.

"Don't worry, I already know where I'm taking you," he says.

"Can't wait for it," I clap my hands, pretending to be happy.

Because I was going to bring out my whiny side in our date. I was going to be the most horrible date.

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**You know what to do- Review:-) **


	7. Chapter 7

Sai is looking at me.

I pretend to not notice him.

"I know you saw me, Haruno," Sai yells across the hall.

I turn back, unable to hide my smile.

"You never answered my question during the morning," Sai looks at me. "I asked when you're going on your date."

"So you can pick clothes for me? No," I smile.

"Uh, yes," Sai says. "You have to wear something that will knock Sasuke's socks off. I know you have one banging bod hidden underneath those layers of ugliness. You need to flaunt what you have, woman."

"No, no and oh yeah- no," I say slamming my locker. "Can't I just go like this?"

Sai looks at my ripped jeans and my t-shirt that I got when I was in environmental club. Then he laughs and pats me.

"You my dear friend, are hilarious. Absolutely hilarious," Sai says.

"I'm absolutely serious," I say. "And yes, thank you, I know I'm a pretty funny person."

"If I have to kidnap you to make you go to the mall, trust me I will. I have my methods," Sai says. I don't doubt him.

"Look, Sai," I sigh and stop. "I'm not going to dress to impress."

"Yeah, and last year when you wore your cheerleading outfit, tell me, how many guys asked you out? Oh yeah for the past year like ten. Literally ten. And I seen you turn them down because of-" Sai glanced at me, and then clears his throat. Because of Kiba. Yeah, I was an idiot for moping around. "Because of a stupid person, and you turned all the 5 football players down who you didn't even cheer for and all the 5 basketball players. And here is your chance to shine. To go out and have a life. Tell me you don't want to date Sasuke."

"I don't want to date Sasuke," I tell him, looking at him seriously.

"You're hopeless," Sai turns to a person who happened to be Hinata. He pointed at me. "She is absolutely hopeless, I tell you."

"Y-yeah," Hinata agrees, blushing a little.

The last thing I need is Sai to be encouraged.

"Hinata, by the way, would you like to go shopping with us? We would love to have you," Sai says.

"And I'm not going shopping, so it would be you and Sai," I shoot Sai a look.

"Sure," Hinata smiles at us. "Are you going to the beach party tomorrow?"

"Of course, partying is what we do best," Sai says.

It's what he does best. Not me.

"I'll see you guys there?" Hinata goes into the media center, where I should be going to tutor Sasuke.

"Bye," I tell Sai.

"Bye my lovely," Sai blows me a kiss as he walks away and I enter.

I spot Sasuke already sitting down, talking to Ino, who was standing up and wearing her cheerleading uniform. I'm pretty sure Ino made the skirt a little too high to show off those long legs of hers. I'm a hundred percent sure that Sasuke notices this.

When I get near them, I hear some of their conversation. "Sasuke, you are like the best," Ino giggles. "Seriously, I mean I thought we were going to lose, but nope, we have out ace basketball star right here."

Ino is here because of math. I know this because she talked about it in the locker room a while back. Because that was what she did. Be the center of attention on everything. Even her failing grades. I'm so glad I don't have to deal with the drama of being on the cheerleading squad anymore. Or Ino.

"I'm not that good," Sasuke says modestly. I roll my eyes. Yeah right. Just the other day he was telling me since the basketball team had him in it they were going to win. When I get to the table, he looks up at me. He breaks into his heartbreakingly handsome grins. "I thought you'd never show, tutor."

"Here I am," I say, sitting down across from him.

"Sakura is teaching you?" Ino narrows her eyes at me.

"Yep, I hear she's the best tutor around," Sasuke says, winking at me. Like he'd know. We haven't even had one tutor session yet. "Hey number one fan."

"I'm not…" I began but Ino cut me off.

"I know I'm your number one fan," Ino purrs. Gag me now. Please.

"Yeah?" Sasuke asks playfully, smiling up at her. What is this? A session of flirting? If he didn't even want to be there, then he should have just stayed with Ino. Or never even came here.

"Okay, we need to start," I say tightly and add silently, _because I don't want to see you guys flirting together._ I mean, not that I care. Not really.

"Well, if you're bored, you can always come help me with math. My tutor Shino is a bore," Ino squeezed Sasuke's shoulders suggestively.

"Don't worry, I don't think I'll get bored of Sakura," Sasuke says, never leaving his eyes off of me even as Ino tries to bat her eyes. Guys fall for her eyes. I even heard one guy wrote a whole two page poem on her eyes.

Ino looks at me again, like some kind of jealous girlfriend and leaves. I wonder: are they an item? Then I want to hit myself for even caring. Because I don't.

"I didn't think you were coming today," Sasuke says, looking at me earnestly.

"Me either," I tell him. He laughs, opening his textbook. "Sasuke, why are you even doing this?"

"Doing…what?" he looks at me innocently.

"You have an A in that class," I reply. "You don't need tutoring."

"But then I won't get to see you," Sasuke says. "Perfect excuse to see each other, don't you think?"

"Too bad I don't really want to see you," I tell him.

"Is that what you tell yourself every time you see me? Denial is the first step," Sasuke says. "Besides, I thought our relationship is building."

"Relationship?" I laugh. "We have nothing, Uchiha."

"Ouch," Sasuke pretends to pull a dagger out his heart. "That hurt."

"We're acquaintances, actually not even, we're lower than that- whatever that is," I assure him.

"I thought we were on our path to friends," Sasuke says, looking serious.

"Mmm, you thought wrong," I say.

"Then we need a change." Sasuke stands on the chair he is sitting in. Before I even know what he's up to, he announces, "Ladies and gentleman of the library, I vow that me and Sakura Haruno are going to be friends. You all count on it. I pledge today that I will make her my friend. Even if it kills me, I will get Sakura Haruno to admit she is my friend."

Everyone is looking at us, a few teachers shush us- I mean this is a library, something Sasuke probably does not understand- but they don't really mean it because they're watching Sasuke's wonderful theatrical performance. My whole face burns up. A few people start clapping, and Sasuke even bows.

Where's a dark hole when you need one?

I see Ino giving me the stink eye. "It's on," I can hear her say.

Don't worry Ino, there is nothing to go on. Never will be.

Sasuke sits back down finally, and looks at me. "Aw, you're blushing."

"You're embarrassing," I say, still noticing people whisper and glance at us.

"Friends are embarrassing, aren't they?" he asks me, and I think back to Sai. Because Sai does embarrassing things all the time.

I didn't have anything to say to him, but the teacher that looked over the tutoring sessions told us all it was over. I look at Sasuke accusingly. We didn't get anything done. At all. He only cracked open his book. To the index.

"Well, there's always tomorrow."

He's lucky I even came today.

OO

After basketball practice, I'm at Itachi's house, helping Lisa around the house.

"Thank you Sasuke, but you really don't have to," she tells me when I start getting out the broom.

"I want to," I assure her.

"You and your brother," she shakes her head, looking at me with her chocolate brown eyes. "I'm pregnant, not disabled."

"You can never be too careful," I say to her, holding out my hand when she's caring a huge laundry basket that I'm sure is heavy. Lisa laughs.

"You Uchiha boys," she hands me the basket. "How's school going for you?"

"Alright," I shrug as we make our way to the living room. I put the laundry basket down and get ready to use the broom.

"I bet you miss your old friends," she tells me.

Suigetsu and Jugo? Yeah, I missed them. We'd always be the Terrible Three as Itachi calls it. We'd get into trouble almost every weekend, and do crazy things that only the three of us would do. Cliff diving, fighting with other people almost all the time, racing, almost getting arrested. We even saved a life from a fire.

"Yeah," I say, nostalgic. We haven't even been in contact since I moved here. But Itachi said they were coming, and I'm betting it was supposed to be a surprise.

"Any luck with the lady?" Lisa asks, folding clothes.

"Ah," I scratch me head. "I don't think she likes me."

"Of course she does," Lisa says.

"No, I seriously don't think she likes me at all," I tell her honestly. "I don't think she can stand me. Every time I see her, she looks like she wants to throw up."

"Hard to get?" Lisa suggests.

I thought it was that, but with Sakura, I really don't think it is. Plenty of girls play hard to get, and sure I like the game, but it gets annoying. Ino on the other hand hasn't been playing hard to get. The other day after the basketball game she was flinging herself at me. Then she was avoiding me, then again this morning she was definitely trying to do something.

"Not with her," I say. "I think she just doesn't like me. She's rich, I'm poor."

"You're not poor," Lisa looks at me, but we both know we're on the lower Middle class spectrum. We live out in the legit ghetto, the East Side, where the West Siders like Sakura do not want to go, and parents warn their children about going there. I mean it's not too bad, just the occasional creep, drug dealer or homeless guy, nothing that scares me.

"Honey, I'm home!" Itachi calls. Lisa looks up, and Itachi picks her up, kissing her passionately. I roll my eyes, but couldn't contain my smile. I loved watching them be so mushy together. Itachi was a total play boy back in high school and Lisa totally fixed him up. "…And you're here too." Itachi finally notices me, grimacing.

"I know you love it when I'm here," I say as he rolls his eyes.

"You're just a free loader, admit it," Itachi half smiles because it's the exact reverse: when Itachi comes to my house, he free loads off of Mom.

"You caught me, big bro," I raise my hands. "So I guess that means I'm staying for dinner while Mom's still working."

Itachi's eyebrows furrowed. "Is she doing late shifts again, Sasuke?"

"I told her not to," I say as I sit on the couch.

Itachi sighs, and looks at me with his blue uniform from the car shop. "Well tell me you did all your homework," he says. If he counts looking at the back of my math textbook's odd answers, then yes, I did.

"I'm going by the river court," I tell him. "Smell ya later, bro. See you later, Lisa." I go out, and walk to the river court. It's not a long walk at all, and a few people are already shooting hoops. Kiba happens to be there.

"Hey Sasuke, my man, where have you been?" Kiba bumps fists with me, and turns to the people. "Guys, I'm sure you know Sasuke Uchiha." I watch all the people, with tattoos on their arms, symbolizing which gang they're in. All of them are in the Akatsuki. Warning signs went in my head. I should be away from them. Stop hanging out with me, but these guys were my guys. Naruto may have been nice and all, but he would never understand me. Not like these guys did.

After everyone left the court, I will shooting hoops. There was nothing else I would rather do than play basketball all day.

"You're good," I heard a deep voice say. I turn around, and my whole body tenses. Madara. He was a big wig in the Akatsuki. He was their friggin' leader. And he was right here, right in front of me. I glance around. Who knew, I could be one of his targets, but no one was there. Only a man waiting for him next to a Porsche. I got to say, he had good taste in cars.

"Not really," I say. I'm feeling a little uneasy. This is the guy who got Itachi's best friend dead, who was also like a big brother to me. This is the guy that doesn't care about anything but himself. And money.

"Sasuke," Madara looks at me. "I heard you joined the rumble."

I freeze. Kiba. Of course. What more did I expect. "Your point?" I ask calmly, more calm than I felt. I couldn't let this guy intimidate me. I had to be strong even though people always crumbled at the mere sight of him because he had that much power in the streets, or anywhere really.

"Sasuke," Madara looked at me, smiling. "You will join, and we always have an open arm for you."

Yeah, open arm my butt.

XX

The next morning after leaving early to my house because I don't want to deal with my father or step mother Kate right now because they're just going to lecture me on how I shouldn't have quit cheerleading, how I should have better grades and that I don't work hard enough. I'm lollygagging near my locker, without my other half Sai. Then I see him.

Gai-sensei gallops along the hallway.

Literally gallops like he's some horse.

And he's galloping straight to me.

"Sakura," Gai looks at me and smiles. "Tsunade needs to speak with you." Another time at the principal's office? This, ladies and gents, was a world record. I know for a fact that I didn't do anything wrong.

When I got there, Sasuke was already sitting down. Why am I not surprised?

When he sees me, his whole face breaks out into one huge smile.

"How's Haruno doing as a tutor?" Tsunade asks.

"She's a great tutor," Sasuke lies because only yesterday did we meet. And we didn't even get anything done.

"Great. That's great," Tsunade looks at me. "Is he giving you any trouble?"

"Um, no," I say, glancing at Sasuke, who had an amused expression on his face. I know what she wants to ask me. By trouble, she means gangs and other stuff.

"Great," our principal sighs. "That's good. Well, keeping tutoring, and keep up with the good work."

We both leave at the same time.

"I don't know why you did that," I say to him.

"Did what?" he asks, having that innocent face again.

"Lie," I say.

"I didn't lie," Sasuke says. "I'm pretty sure you are a great tutor. Yesterday we got carried away with our friendship, but I'll behave from now on. Only a little."

"There is no friendship," I say. He really thought we were friends.

"Yep there is," Sasuke leans to me. "I can feel it." I take a deep breath, smelling his surprisingly delicious smell of his cologne. That stuff had to be expensive.

"Then it's one sided," I say, and I hear my name being called.

"Sakura honey- oh there you are," Sai put his arm around me. "Sasuke," he says, looking him up and down. Checking him out, no doubt.

I see Sasuke's face shift from happy to expressionless. "What was your name again?" Sasuke asks. I don't know if he really forgot or if he never knew.

"Sai," Sai tells him. "Sakura has been telling me so much about you, I'm a little jelly of you right now."

"Hn," Sasuke barely notices Sai, and looks at me. "See you later at tutoring, number one fan." He saunters off.

"He forgot my name," was all Sai states, his feelings obviously a little hurt.

"It is kind of hard to remember," I tease.

"He forgot my name," Sai repeats. He fake sniffles. "So, were you guys discussing your hot date?"

"No we weren't," I say.

"You know, that's what you should have done," Sai says. "But nooo. I'm pretty sure you were talking to Sasuke about the latest teen romance movie. Safe Heaven or something like that."

"Sai, you know you cried when you watched The Notebook," I grin.

"There was an eyelash in my eye," Sai argues, but grins with me. "Anyways, Hinata is going to go the beach today so she can win Naruto's heart. And we're coming with her to give her the support she needs. Notice I said we. As in me and you. As in Sakura and I. As in-"

"I think they would make a cute couple," I say, nodding, watching Naruto as he laughs with his friends.

"If we can get Hinata to stop fainting to she could actually talk to the guy," Sai says.

"Why can't we just tell him?" I ask.

"Because that ruins all the magic," Sai answers. "We need to watch as things transpire into something… more."

Just then Rock Lee comes up to me. "So, on our date," he tells me. "Today."

"Today?" I barely even manage to say, glancing at Sai. I was about to say no.

"She would love to. Pick her up at 8!" Sai ushers me away from Rock Lee and I get into his car. He's driving me home. "Sakura, Sakura. I know you said no shopping."

"But you shopped for me anyways," I finish for him.

"It's just a shirt and jeans," Sai says. "…A very pretty green blouse and skinny jeans, actually."

"Ugh no," I moan. "Is dating this hard? Really? Why can't I just be comfy?"

"Sakura, be lucky I didn't get your this dress I was going to get you," Sai tells me. "I thought we needed baby steps. Of course I'm going to be at the beach party while you're doing things."

I groan. "Sai, it is going to be sooo awkward. Like you don't even know. What am I supposed to say to him? 'Hey Lee, nice hair.' No. I don't think so."

"Well," Sai tapped his chin. "You can tell him that, for a conversation starter. Even though he really doesn't have nice hair. I mean having the same hairstyle as Gai is just…No."

"It's hopeless," I say. "It's just going to be one awkward situation."

"No it won't. You'll do fine," Sai assures me. "Make sure you don't like punch him in the face is he puts his arm around you. Pretend it's me. Let him put his arm around you. Of course if he does anything funny, you can sock him."

After I get home, and no one is here- no surprise there- I get dressed into some ruffly green shirt/dress thing and put on a pair of skinny jeans. I look at myself.

"Wowza," Sai whistles. "You look hot, chica."

"Thanks," I fake smile, looking at myself. The deep green blouse he got me made my eyes pop. Sai was going to put make up on me, but I refused.

"My little Sakura, all grown up," Sai sighs, and places a hand on my cheek. "You're going to do ah-mazing. Make sure if you're going to kiss him pop a mint-"

"Not going to happen," I say, and I hear a honk.

Rock Lee was waiting for me.

"Have fun!" Sai is getting out the window from my room.

"Don't fall!" I call back, laughing as I head out, and look at Rock Lee's red mustang.

I open the door. "Sakura, you're looking good."

"Where are we going?"

"We'll go hang out in the beach for a little, then it's all me and you," Rock Lee winks at me, and all I can think of is that Sasuke's wink is way hotter. Since when is a wink hot?

"Sounds…" horrible, "great."

OO

"Next game, you're going to win?" Naruto asks me. I'm a little distracted. I'm searching for a certain pink haired girl, but I can't seem to find her. "Sasuke, do you think Hinata likes me?"

"Yeah," I say, looking over at Hinata who's talking to Sai. Hinata was shooting glances at Naruto. Sai. He is always with Sakura. All the time. So it's weird that he's not with her now. I wonder if they're even together. It seems as if they are. Maybe if I get him out of the picture, then Sakura can like me. I'm seriously considering asking Sai where Sakura is. If he gets jealous, I know I can take him on in a fight.

"You think so?" Naruto laughs. "I mean it's not even a chance she can like me."

"You never know unless you try," I say, turning around.

Then I stop. Rock Lee has his arm around Sakura. He's laughing and she's smiling. My whole body can't move. I want to go over there and just beat him up, finish up what we couldn't at school, but I know that's uncalled for. I can't make Sakura dislike me more than she already does.

Instead, I walk over to Ino and grab her hand. "Dance with me."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX**

**Madara's character will be explained more, later on. So dontcha worry.**

**I hope you guys love reading this as much as I love writing this. **

**Go ahead and review, make my day. **


	8. Chapter 8

Being on a date with Rock Lee sucked.

Watching Sasuke dance with Ino sucked even more.

And I had to say, Sasuke was a good dancer. He even swirled Ino, and she was laughing and swaying with him. Nauseating, really. Thankfully there wasn't any dirty dancing going on between the two.

"Here," Rock Lee hands me a cup. I take it, but spill it behind me. I don't drink. I know a lot of people may think I'm being holier-than-thou but it's just plain and simple. I never liked the taste ever since I was young and my mom gave me a sip- long story- and I didn't need to drink to think I was cool or something. Why couldn't people just follow the law and wait until they were 21? Besides, I was always the one that was the sober one and took care of the whole cheerleading squad when they were completely wasted. I didn't mind being the mom of the group and taking care of everyone else.

"Come on, Sakura," Lee grabbed my hand. "Let's take a walk." I see him draining his cup, and grabbing another one also draining that one. He needed to slow down.

"Lee? Are you sure you're okay?" I don't want him to be even slightly buzzed when he was driving me.

"Actually-" Lee puked all over someone's shoes. "I think I'm going to puke."

"I think you already puked," I told him weakly.

"Here," Shino, a guy that was some sort of genius in the matter of bugs, came out of the blue. "I'll take him home."

"Uh-"

"That's okay, Sakura," Lee tried to not wobble, but failed. "W-we can go…"

"I'll take him. You enjoy, Sakura," Shino took away Lee and I was left alone. Just like that.

I searched for Sai, who was nowhere to be found.

I didn't have a ride.

I called Sai. He didn't pick up. I called him again. His dumb voicemail came: "Hey guys, it's Sai. If I'm not picking up the phone, either I don't like you or I could be dead." I roll my eyes at his voicemail, and I'm shivering at the night's breeze. Sai would love this. Rock Lee puked and left me out in the cold. It was such a good thing that I took my hoodie with me in my tote bag, so I put the oversized thing on.

I sit on a big rock, watching the party from far away.

I have a date for the first time in a while, and I'm left alone. Maybe it's not the guy's problems, maybe _I _am the problem. I mean one time a few months ago a guy asked me to go out and I did say yes because Sai was bugging me to because he told me a lot of people asked me out, ten to be exact, so I said yes and when the date came, the guy just never showed up. After that, he just avoided me and never talked to me again. That was the first time I tried to go back to dating after Kiba, but it ended up with me being alone.

I swallow hard, thinking about my mom leaving me, and before I even know it, there are tears that start to well up in my eyes.

"Sakura?" someone sits next to me. Sasuke cocks his head towards me, and I quickly wipe away my eyes before he sees my watery eyes. I sniffle. "Are you okay?"

"J-just fine," I answer, cursing myself for stammering.

"You sure?" I can feel the heat of Sasuke's gaze on me. "Where's Lee?" So he saw us.

"Home," I say bitterly.

"What?" Sasuke sounds surprised. "Weren't you with him?"

"Weren't you with Ino?" I retort. "Anyways, he left."

"He left you?" Sasuke's voice sounded angry.

"It's whatever," I get up and Sasuke stand up with me.

"No it's not," Sasuke shakes his head. "Because I would never leave you on a date." Which reminded me that I owed him a date.

"How gentlemanly of you," I tell him.

"Then how about I be even more of a gentleman and company you?" Sasuke asks.

"How about no?" I answer. I was not in the mood for company. Especially Sasuke's. I see Hinata and Naruto passing by us.

Hinata! She could give me a ride. "Hey Hinata!" I call out to her, and she stops, waving at me.

"H-hey Sakura, me and Naruto were just about to go t-to get pizza," Hinata says, and I raise my eyebrow. She nods at me like she's going to tell me later. She better tell me later. So much for that plan.

"Oh. Well, have fun," I wave to her as she leaves with Naruto. Where the heck was Sai? I send him a hundred texts since he was not answering his phone. "Anyways what were we talking about?"

"You were going to tell me that you're going to dump Lee and give me a chance," Sasuke answers.

"I'm not with Lee," I correct him.

"Then that other scrawny guy you're always with," Sasuke says. I smile at him. He still thought Sai and I had a thing. And he really didn't know Sai's name. Sai would really love this. "When are you leaving?"

Never. Unless I get a ride. "What does it matter to you?"

"Well I was thinking if Lee isn't here, and you're stuck here…do you need a ride?" Sasuke's eyes glint as he tells me this. He knows.

"So what if I do?" I ask him.

"Ride with me," Sasuke says. I'm not sure. He gestures for me to come, and I sigh, my only escape was him. Then so be it.

As I walk to his car, I notice it is not a car. He rides a motorcycle. Oh heck naw. I am not riding that. "I'm not riding that."

"It's nothing to be scared of," Sasuke assures me, taking out a helmet, handing it to me.

I only stare at the helmet. "Where's yours?"

"I don't need it," he replies.

"Uh,yeah you do," I argue. "What if we go in an accident and then you hit your head- and _why are you smiling_?"

"Glad to know my number one fan cares so much about me," he says, cracking a grin, on his motorcycle. He revved up his motorcycle.

I have two options here. Option one: go with him. Option two: don't go with him and stay here at the beach for who knows how long. I put the big helmet on.

I am so going to regret this. I shift my tote bag and straddle his motorcycle. "Hold on tights," he tells me, putting my hands around his waist. The innocent touch just seemed to intimate. He deliberately brushed the tips of his fingers over mine before reaching for the handlebars. Yes, I am so going to regret this.

As he speeds away from the beach parking lot, I grab Sasuke's rock hard abs tighter, closing my eyes. I feel really lightheaded by the speed of the motorcycle, and it's as if I'm riding a rollercoaster. The experience is actually exhilarating.

Then I remember I didn't even give him directions to my house.

When he stops and finally puts the kickstand down, I look at where we are. My house. How did he…"How did you know where I live?" I ask him.

"That's for me to know and for you to never figure out," Sasuke says, grinning.

"I seriously hope you're not some creepy stalker. I read in a book once about a guy that was stalking this girl because he was obsessed with her, and let me tell you, that didn't end up being pretty," I say. I don't even know why I'm telling him this.

"Don't worry, I'm not some crazy stalker guy," Sasuke says.

"That's what all crazy stalker guys say," I tell him. He chuckles and seems to be getting off his motorcycle to walk me to my door, but I hand him his helmet. "Don't bother."

"But what if a crazy stalker guy comes to you?" he asks.

"I think I can handle myself," I answer.

" For some reason, I don't doubt you. See you tomorrow?" he asks me as he puts on his helmet. I look at him with his black shirt and ripped jeans, looking totally looking the cliché part of a bad boy, kind of like how Kiba use to dress like. I needed to stay away from this guy. Everything about him screamed to me to run away. I couldn't get caught up him. I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

"Maybe," I tell him, crossing my arms. He salutes me as he goes off my neighborhood.

I go inside my house, which was quiet now, and make my way up the stairs. "Sakura," my dad's voice booms from the living room.

"Yes, father?" I say.

"Who was that guy?" my father asks. I close my eyes.

"No one," I say. But I was lying. Sasuke wasn't just a random stranger. He was someone, but I just didn't know what he was exactly to me. Not a friend nor an enemy. Okay, I was confusing myself.

"Next time, how about he does the polite thing and meets us? Sakura, I don't want you hanging around guys like that," my dad says. I'm not even going to bother asking him why because it's all about his perfect reputation and having the perfect daughter who did nothing wrong. He only tolerated Sai because Sai's family was influential, but other than that I know my father didn't like him. "I don't want to see you with that guy again." Because he rode a motorcycle? Give me a break, dad. He didn't even know Sasuke and he was already judging. For some reason this made me angry. And frustrated.

"Okay," I lie. I had to see Sasuke; I was his tutor. My dad just didn't need to know that.

I go up to my room and open up my e-mail. I'm actually really surprised to see my principal messaging me. What could this be possible be about?

**Sakura,**

**Good going with keeping Sasuke out of fights.**

**-Tsunade **

Give him something? I frown. Be nicer to him? My frown deepens. That's going to be a tough one.

The next day during school at the parking lot where everyone looms around, I finally see Sai standing around a vending machine. He was so going to pay for not answering his phone.

"Where were you?" I ask him, punching him. Hard. He had to pay for making me sit on a motorcycle with Sasuke. "I called you like a bazillion times!"

"So I'm taking your date didn't go well?" Sai asks me.

"Don't turn around this on me! We're talking about you! And yes, my date did not go well with Rock Lee," I answer him.

"Sakura do remember that time where you actually went on that one date but the guy never showed?" Sai asks me suddenly.

"Yeah," I say. "Don't remind me." I did think that yesterday while I was alone.

"No, it's just ever since that, people just stopped," Sai says.

"Gee, thanks Sai for reminding me I'm a complete loser," I say.

"You are not. You're just my loser," Sai says. I punch him again. "Oww, that hurt. Okay so maybe I deserve that. But I did get Hinata to talk to Naruto and that plan worked then my dad called." Sai rolled his eyes. "I was grounded for getting a C on some stupid essay. So no phone. Sorry hun I couldn't answer. Why did you call me anyways?"

"I had no ride," I answer, feeling bad that just a second ago I wanted to punch Sai in the face. But I understood Sai's strained relationship with his father.

"But then…"

"I rode with Sasuke," I say.

Sai whooped. "And then…" he prodded me.

"Nothing happened," I say. "At all."

"You rode his motorcycle. Oh my gosh, Sakura, I am so glad I didn't give you a ride! Oh, fate has a funny way-"

"Shut up," I tell him. "Anyways, I have to go get to tutoring."

"Yeah, you go ahead and tutor hunky. As if that's some chore. I would gladly take your place," Sai offers. "But you know I can't because I suck at every subject. Even P.E."

"Oh, and he still doesn't know your name," I tease. "He called you the scrawny guy."

Sai fake sniffles. "You are a heartless person, you know that? I thought me and Sasuke were getting to get to know each other on a first name basis. But I'll have you know that anytime I look at him, if looks could kill, I would be dead."

I laugh and see Lee walking my way.

Great.

OO

I'm trying to get to the media center to have my tutoring session with Sakura when I see a guy taunting this other fat guy.

"Hey watch where you're going," the guy says, wearing a black and red bandanna, the colors of the Akatsuki.

"S-sorry," I notice the guy as being Choji, a guy who always gets in trouble for eating. I remember once I asked him if I could have some chips when I had no lunch money and he let me eat them.

"Seriously," the guy gets up in Choji's personal space. "You fat boy need to know his place." The guy shoves Choji, who was defenseless. That guy knew and Choji knew and everyone else that was gawking also knew it.

My hand clenches. This guy was asking for it.

"Hey," I call out to the guy. He whipped his head to me. "Go start crap somewhere else." I step besides Choji, looking up at the guy.

"Defending this fatty? He a friend of yours? Is this the fat club?" if this guy says fat one more time, I'm throwing hands.

"Hey Kankuro, stop that," a voice came. I look over and see a short red haired guy. "Let's not start a fight with Sasuke Uchiha."

Interesting. This red haired guy knew me.

"Uchiha?" the guy named Kankura looks at me. "Sorry man."

I only glare at him until he cowers away. Only then I notice the crowd that is starting to form.

"Nothing to see here, folks," a lazy guy named Shikamaru says to the people, walking beside Choji.

"Thanks," Choji looks at me, then looks down. "Thank you."

"Yeah," I shrug, like it wasn't a big deal. Except Itachi would kill me, then my mom would being me back to life and kill me again if I got into a fight at school.

"You're the first person to stand up for me," Choji says. I frown. I hated guys like Kankuro who preyed on the weak.

"What am I chopped liver?" Shikimaru punches Choji in the arm then looks at me. "You're not so bad, Uchiha."

I turn around then stop when I see Sakura talking to Lee.

Now there was a person I wouldn't mind fighting with at school.

XX

I hurry to get to the media center, dismissing Lee's stupid attempts to get on another date with me. When I get there, I already see Sasuke in his seat.

When I sit down, Sasuke looks at me.

"Rock Lee?" Sasuke laughs, leaning towards me. "You can do better."

"Any suggestions?" I ask innocently. "Because I don't see any other guy."

Sasuke opens his mouth, and then just shakes his head, leaning back to his chair, his hands on the back of his head. "I didn't know you guys talked."

"You and Ino huh?" I shoot back. Sasuke quirks an eyebrow.

"Jealous?"

"Of what, exactly?" I ask him, narrowing my eyes. "Ino? Because yes, she is beautiful so of course you would take a liking in her. In fact, I'm hoping you guys become a couple." Oh my gosh I needed to like just shut up and stop blabbering. I sounded jealous. Like some…jealous girlfriend. And no, I did not want them to become a couple.

"Nah," Sasuke says, and our eyes meet. "I go for the baggy jeans and t-shirts kind of girls." What did he mean he wasn't interested in her? Everyone was interested in her. There was a problem with Sasuke.

I clear my throat. "Anyways, I have something," I say, getting out the red box kit thing I made him. It was actually kind of embarrassing that I even made him it. Tsunade was thinking I was keeping Sasuke out of fights when I wasn't doing anything. I took the red box, containing study utensils and some gum for him, pushing it his way.

"What is this?" Sasuke asks, eagerly looking at the box. "A present? You shouldn't have. My birthday isn't -"

"It's just something that I thought would help you study is all. Nothing more, nothing less," I interrupt before he got any funny ideas.

"Thanks," he looks up at me, giving me a megawatt smile. He takes the box and puts it in his book bag.

The teacher called off the tutoring session. We both stand up at the same time.

"See you tomorrow," Sasuke waved at me as he was walking as I gather my things.

OO

When I get home, I place the red box on my desk, and see my mom's message to buy some milk from the store.

After I did that, I went back home to take shower and head to the beach.

"Well, well well if it isn't Sasuke Uchiha," I hear a voice as I take off my helmet.

I know that voice and I couldn't help but break into this huge grin.

"Suigetsu!" I yell as he's walking towards me, bumping fists and he tries to wrestle me. Ever since I moved into a new high school, and a new house, they haven't come to visit.

"Seriously, you guys never change," I hear Jugo say, looking at us. Suigetsu escapes from my grasp.

"Dang Sasuke, when did you start gaining those muscles? Last time I remember you were a scrawny chicken," Suigetsu snickers.

"Oh yeah?" I quirk an eyebrow. "Last time I remember, I always beat you."

"Kehe, yeah, yeah, sure, sure," Suigetsu looks over. "Karin, are you coming or not?"

Karin?

I see her, with a tight black dress hugging all her curves, her fiery red mane walking towards me. I didn't think she was going to come. She shouldn't have come. We were over.

"Hey Sasuke," she says, smiling and hugging me.

"Hey," I murmur to her.

"Okay guys, hugging only lasts for like two seconds, not five minutes," Suigetsu calls from the house. "Is Mom here?" Suigestu has horrible parents who don't care what he does. His mother is in rehab while his father is away overseas, never having the time for him. He always spent time at my house, and my mother was the only mother figure Suigetsu ever had, so he called her Mom.

"No she's working," I answer him.

"Aw, I wanted her lasagna," Suigetsu pouts. "Now you're going to have to cook for us."

"Sasuke can't cook to save his life," Karin winks at me, walking to my house.

I watched as they all walked inside my house as if they owned the place, which they all probably thought they did. Karin was here, and my mind was buzzing. We had a weird break up, but stayed…kind of more than friends. I don't know, but the lingering feelings of Karin still resided. I have to remind myself why I even broke up with her. The head games she always played. If she was mad at me, she would always go to the nearest guy and just flirt right in front of me. Then I beat up whichever guy she hooked up with. I looked away. The real reason why I broke up with her, she didn't know that I knew what she did. People made mistakes, but her mistake really hurt me. But all of her, her perfume, the way she laughed, the way she looked at me was all so familiar.

I walked inside and they all made themselves at home already.

"Sasuke, you're blender ain't workin, bro," Suigetsu says.

"That's because you have to plug it in first, you idiot," Karin laughs, swatting him.

"Oh, right," Suigetsu plugs in the blender.

"Nice home you got, Sasuke," Jugo looks around. "Looks exactly like your old house." We moved to the other part of the East Side, which was far away from my old house. Still a crummy place though.

"Yeah," I sat next to him. "I'm near the river court now though."

"Oh yeah? You still ball?" Jugo asks.

"On the basketball team, actually," I say proudly.

"You were the captain of our school's team, they'd be stupid if they didn't let you in on the team," Jugo tells me.

"Oookay guys," Suigetsu says. "Where's Karin?"

"She's looking for the bathroom," Jugo answers. "Anyways, I was thinking we should head on over to the beach. It's so close from here."

"I second that!" Karin's voice comes, and she's already wearing her bathing suit.

Suigetsu whistles. I meet Karin's eyes, and then quickly look away. That's just how Karin was. She knew she had a perfect body, and she was showing it off, for the world to see. I think back to Sakura and how she just always wore her baggy jeans and T-shirts. I had to erase all fantasies of what lies underneath. They were really different from each other.

"Alright let's go," I say.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Trouble to come.**

**Shout out for all of you guys for reviewing; I'm happy that people actually like this story.**

**Until next time(:**


	9. Chapter 9

OO

We're at the beach and I see a familiar pink haired person with the guy she always hangs around with. They're laughing together, and I want to go over there and greet her. But there's something stopping me. And it's Karin's arms around me.

Suigetsu is already gone, and I don't know where he is and Jugo ushers me to play some volleyball.

XX

Coming to the beach was completely Sai's genius idea. There are plenty of your weirdos at the beach.

Some guy walks up to me. "My name is Suigetsu," a guy with bluish white hairs comes and greets me, even bowing a little. I exchange glances with Sai.

"Sakura," I say, shaking his hand and he kisses it.

"Sai," Sai says, holding out his hand- probably wanting to get a kiss too, but Suigetsu ignores it.

"Sakura, like the flower?" Suigetsu grins like that line is so original.

"Yeah," I control myself not to roll my eyes. Suigetsu is kind of cute though, I had to admit.

"You're really pretty, anyone ever told you that?" Suigetsu tells me and I feel Sai give me a nudge.

"Thanks," was all I could say. I was being hit on with a cute guy and all I could think of was…

I looked over and saw Sasuke, thankfully with his shirt on, with a pretty girl with red hair. And the girl had her arms wrapped around her and they were laughing.

Huh.

I clench my jaw. So this was how Sasuke played? I was right he probably did flirt with every single girl that would talk to him.

"Hey Sakura isn't that Sasuke? We should say- oh who is he with?" Sai says. "That is one really hot girl-" Sai glanced at me then cleared his throat. "I mean really ugly red haired girl. I bet she dyed her hair that color because she was going in for the red haired that is so popular nowadays."

"I don't care, and we're leaving," I say.

"Maybe the girl's like his cousin or something?" Sai suggests. "No need to jump the gun."

"No, Sai. This is how Sasuke is as a person. He's just screwing around with me," I say logically. "Because I mean come on, if someone had to pick between me and Ino, you know who would be the obvious choice guys will choose."

"Yeah, guys with practically no brain cells," Sai says.

"Stop trying to make me feel better," I say.

"Woah Sakura, that guy was hitting on you," Sai giggled.

"Don't act so surprised," I say.

OO

The next day at school, in the morning, I look over and see Sakura in the parking lot. Karin said she was going to be here, but she wasn't. I was actually glad she wasn't going to be here. I don't think you can have strangers enter the school.

"Hey number on fan!" I call to Sakura, walking to her. "I saw you yesterday with…that scrawny guy at the beach."

"Really? Huh, we didn't notice you. But I met this really cute guy names Suigetsu," Sakura says.

Suigetsu. Of course.

"He's a friend of mine," I say. Sakura's eyes narrow a fraction.

"Oh you have friends?" she asks. I grin at her.

"Yeah, and you're included in the list of many friends," I tell her. Sakura smirks.

"I told you we're not even close to even being acquaintances" she says.

"So we have this strict tutor-tutoree relationship?" I ask her.

"Yes," she nods.

"I think it'd kind of be cool if we had this hot forbidden relationship-"

"Sasuke!" Gai, our PE teacher gallops towards me like he's a horse. He has got to be kidding me. This man has no shame, and I kind of admire him for that. "You are needed at the principal's office." I groan inwardly. I didn't do anything. I know I did nothing that would make me go to Tsunade's office. "And hello Sakura. I hope Sasuke isn't giving you any trouble."

"He is, actually," Sakura tells him sweetly. She looks at me and gives me a saucy wink. Oh man she did not- she couldn't think she could get away with that.

"Visit me in the office, if you can," I call out to her as Gai walks next to me like he's some chaperone. Or that I would run away or something. Sure, in my last school I probably would have.

XX

After my talk with Sasuke, I turn around the corner and see a red haired girl.

"Sakura, right?" the red haired girl asked me. This was the girl that was with Sasuke on the beach the other day. "I'm Karin." She smiles at me. Her smile doesn't reach her eyes and I can tell it's totally fake because _I _am the one who mastered the fake smile while I was on the pom squad with Ino.

"Yes, that's me," I say lamely. I mean what else is there to say? Why is she even talking to me?

"Were you the one that wrote that note to Sasuke?" Karin asks, and my whole insides freeze. I meet her eyes. He showed her the kit that I made for him. At the time while I was making it for him feeling guilty that I didn't do anything to stop him fighting like Tsunade told me to. Then I decided to just add a note. Karin, her fiery red hair, looking at me. "Well," she looks at me. "Aren't you the one that gave Sasuke that little kit?"

I freeze. He showed it to her? Of course he did. That stupid little kit thing was just a dumb idea. He was probably laughing at it along with this pretty girl named Karin.

"You did, didn't you?" she laughs. "That is so cute. Caring for Sasuke, of course it's actually really pathetic. I mean come on, a little note inside?" My face burned. Sasuke showed it to her. He laughed at it? Here I was thinking I was doing something nice for a change. But he just throws it at my face behind my back. "Let me just tell you, Sakura. You're going to just another girl he has a fling with. I mean who makes little kits of tutoring? That is a riot! Stay off my man, and we won't have any problems."

"Your man? Sasuke never mentioned any girlfriends," I say tightly. I would be kidding myself to think that Sasuke never had a girlfriend or girls going after him. I mean Ino was just one of the many girls that I have seen take attention to Sasuke. The whole pom squad practically drools over him because I once saw them eating together during lunch. And the game I went to, every time Sasuke made a shot they cheered louder than necessary.

"He doesn't like to brag," she walks off and I can barely swallow. I don't know why, but I was hurt.

After avoiding Sasuke in gym class and totally not going to the tutoring session, I'm walking with Sai until we hear a voice.

"Number one fan, wait!" I hear Sasuke's voice but I keep walking. Sai looks at me.

"Sakura? He's calling out for you-"

"No," I say calmly. "I'm not going to talk to him."

"Sakura," Sasuke is besides me now, looking at me. "You missed our tutoring session."

"I know," I say, walking, and holding Sai's arm.

"Is something wrong? Are you-"

I turn sharply to him. "Nothing is wrong. I missed it because I didn't want to see you." Sai is slowly fading away, somehow he managed to get rid of my strong hold of his arms, giving us space, knowing that I was going to tell him later. This shouldn't have bothered me so much, but it did. It's just a stupid kit.

"That's not fair, I don't even know what I did," Sasuke is looking at me like I'm a puzzle.

I roll my eyes. "Of course you didn't," I snap sarcastically. "I'm sure you don't." I'm so tempted to bring out Karin in our conversation, to ask him who she was, but I hold my tongue.

"No, I don't," Sasuke is looking at me pleadingly, his eyebrows were furrowed up and I want to believe him for a second, "so please tell me." Was he serious? Did he seriously think that I didn't know? Or that he can pretend he did nothing wrong? What annoyed me out of this whole thing, was how I was feeling about this. How I was mad he thought the kit was stupid and laughed at it. I didn't care what he thought.

"You know what?" I say suddenly, annoyed at myself more than anything. "Whatever. It doesn't matter. I don't care." I try to leave, but Sasuke is still in front of me. I meet his onyx eyes, gazing at me, unnerving me a little. I grit my teeth. "Move."

"You're mad at me," Sasuke's lips form a slow smile. "Is this our first fight?"

"I'm not mad at you," I lie as I grit my teeth. "You're not even _worth_ getting mad over." I know that hurt, and there was only a flicker of hurt in his face for a second.

He drops his hands to his side and moves out of my way, thankfully. The warmth of his body escapes me. As I am walking to my car, I know he's still standing there. I want to run up to him and tell him, yell at him, but I take a deep breath. If I did that, then it would seem like I care, which I didn't.

Did I?

OO

I'm in a bad mood when I get home. Too bad I can't punch the wall or have something to break. I once created a huge dent in the wall of my old house because I was pissed off and it was actually a really good way to let my anger out. So after I punched the wall, Itachi bought me a punching bag that I practiced on.

When I enter my room, I see Karin. Suigetsu and Jugo texted me saying they were out playing basketball and I should join them. But after Sakura not talking to me and clearly bebenig mad at me, I didn't feel like doing anything. Basketball though might help me forget it for a little whle.

"Sasukee," Karin is already on my bed. "Where were you?" I grunt and turn to my desk, looking over at my kit Sakura gave to me. When she did give it to me, I was really happy and surprised, thinking of a way I could repay her. Then out of nowhere, she's mad at me. I'm trying really hard to think what stupid thing I could have done that would make her mad, but I'm not getting anything. I freeze when I look at the kit again. I pick it up.

Someone touched it.

I slowly turn to Karin. "Karin," I say as I hold the kit, "did you touch this?"

"Oh that stupid thing? 'Sasuke, you don't need help, but here you go, not your number one, Sakura' that was so pathetic, can she be more stupid?" Karin laughs. "She seemed mad about it when I told her." Karin comes off the bed, next to me.

I close my eyes. _That_ was why she was mad. "Karin."

"Yeah, Sasuke?" Karin is leaning over me, her shirt was really low cut and she was smiling in a way that I once thought was hot.

"Get out," I order.

"What?" Karin asked.

"Why did you do that?" I ask angrily. She looks at me, surprised.

"To make sure Sakura knows she had no chance with you," Karin says. "Don't you feel it, Sasuke? Our tension is building up." She traced a hand down my arm. But I felt nothing. There was only a pink haired girl that was on my mind. "She will never know you like I do."

I place my hand on her arm. "No," I say, looking at her "You should leave now. You shouldn't have done that."

"Why?" she laughs. "Don't even tell me you like that girl? Do you see the way she dresses? Like some old-"

"I like the way she dresses," I cut her off, smiling despite myself, thinking of her baggy T-shirts and jeans.

"What is wrong with you?" Karin asks almost laughing. "Tell me you don't like her." I look away from Karin. "No," she whispers. "You don't. Trust me, she will never love you like I do you."

"That's the funny thing isn't it, Karin?" I ask. "You never did love me."

Karin looks up at me, her eyes gazing into mine. "I do love you. Just… kiss me and say you don't feel anything."

I'm not even sure why I even thought I liked her. And she didn't love me. I don't think the people you love would intentionally hurt you. Karin? She knew she was hurting me when she hooked up with all the guys while we were dating. She knew I was going to beat them up. She knew Suigetsu is my best friend and of his feelings for her, and she took advantage of that. When I saw them together, kissing like there was nothing wrong with that.

"Not happening," I tell her slowly. "I'm done with you Karin. We're only friends."

"And you're going to try to be with Sakura?" Karin asks. "Don't worry; I know she's not going to be your type. The West Siders? Not going to happen with people like us, Sasuke. You don't have to worry though." Karin touches my cheek with her hand. "When Sakura rejects you, and when you finally realize you don't like her, I will be waiting for you." Karin leaves. It's as if a huge burden has been lifted from my shoulder. I'm reading over the short note that Sakura wrote me. I couldn't help but smile. But thinking of Karin, it only reminds me of what I was…

*****_PAST_*****

"Where is the guy?" I asked her through the loud music. People were dancing and getting crazy, throwing stuff at each other while I was holding Karin while we were on a chair. Karin leaned back.

"There he is," she whispered to me. I look to see a guy with short cut black hair, and he was shirtless sporting a bunch of tattoos. I had a switchblade on me. But I don't think I'd use it here. Weapons were for when I felt threatened. Besides, fighting with fists was the best way to go.

"That's the guy?" I asked her, already getting up.

"Mhmmm," Karin replied.

I walk over to him. "Hey you," I get up in his face. Even though he's taller than me, I already know I can take him. Piece of cake.

"Who are you?" the guy asked me, staring me down. And I punch him right across his jaw.

The guy stumbled back, hitting chairs. "What the-"

"Next time you want to hit on other people's girlfriends, you better think twice about it," I warned him. "If not, then I can't promise you that I'll go so easy on you." The guy looks scared. Good.

"Shoot, that's Sasuke Uchiha," I hear one person murmur.

"U-Uchiha?" the guy's eyes widened. "Dude, I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean to hit on your girlfriend. Honest." His gaze is passed mine, and I look back to see what he's looking at. Karin has her mouth locked onto someone else's. "She's your girlfriend, huh?"

"Shut up," I growled at him, taking his red cup and drinking all of it before walking to Karin with the guy she was with. Being drunk and fighting was never smart, but right now I felt like I was on some unknown high and ready to just beat up anyone. This usually almost always happened with me.

"Hey Sasuke- whoo boy, hold your horses," Suigetsu came next to me. "Before you even try-"

"Out of my way," I shove Suigetsu harder than I intended to.

When Karin sees us, she breaks away. "Sasuke…"

I'm dizzy and just pissed and I'm wondering what the heck am I doing with my life before I take a swing on the guy who was kissing Karin a second ago. Apparently, he has friends that back him up because they're all behind him. One guy comes running towards me and I flip him over to his back. I stare at the other people who are watching, looking like they want to fight.

"Who's next?" I challenged, looking at everyone, daring they step up. Wishing they would.

And just like that, it's like an all out battle in the house.

Afterwards after I get a small bruise on my cheek and everything died down, I was headed to my car with my arm around Karin and Suigetsu beside me.

"A party ruined once again by Uchiha Sasuke!" Suigetsu announce once the brawl was over. I had about half the people in the house that were at the party surrounding me. Everyone laughs.

"Of course the party is already ruined before the police even come," Jugo laughs alongside the people.

Once Karin and I were alone in her car, she started to unbutton my shirt. I stopped her. "Karin," I said. "Why?"

"Why we're doing this?" Karin laughs and places her hand on my bruised cheek. She leans in on me, making me get a whiff of her overly sweet perfume. "Well-"

"No, not this," I answered her. "Why did you kiss that guy?"

"He forced himself on me, and you were busy with the other guy," Karin replied. "Does your cheek hurt?" She changed the topic.

"A little," I sighed, leaning back. I know she's lying. I know she's lying and I let her. What was wrong with me? Getting into fights every single Friday night because of Karin. Other nights, I just fought because I could. She knew I had a quick temper and she didn't even stop me from fighting. She never stopped me from fighting. She just watched. I don't know- maybe I was just waiting for her to actually tell me not to fight. That's what I wanted, and I don't I was ever going to get it.

She brushed her fingers on my lips. But I wasn't in the mood. "Are we not going to-"

"No," I interrupted her. "I got to get home." Suddenly, I was just tired.

"I love you Sasuke," Karin tells me. I used to love hearing that. Now, it just seemed like an empty word to say.

"Yeah, you too," I say because what else am I supposed to say to that?

There was another party on Saturday that I went with Karin. She was wearing very little to every guy's imagination and any guy who hooted, I'd try to start something, but all of them backed off.

"I'm going to get a drink," Karin tells me, swaying her hips back and forth.

I wait for her on the couch for a good half hour, getting hit on a couple of girls, and the music is blasting, so I decide to go outside, wondering where Karin was so we could ditch the party and just be alone. I was going to walk back inside until I hear a familiar laugh.

That was Karin's laugh.

I slowly walk towards where I hear it, already itching to get into a fight.

They couldn't see me, but I could clearly see them on the balcony, besides the railings. Karin and Suigetsu were all over each other, and I could only watch helplessly. "He'd kill me, Karin," I hear Suigetsu say. My supposed girlfriend and my best friend were going at it.

"He'll never figure out," Karin says between their kisses. "I mean we've been doing this for five months."

I should go over there and just break them apart and break Suigetsu's nose, but I don't. I'm just watching them, feeling really hurt. Five months. Were they going to tell me later on? Were they ever planning on telling me this? Five whole flippin' months?

I turn around, feeling a little hollow and go back to the party scene, grabbing some random person's plastic red cup and just drinking all of it, dancing with some random girl.

After a good thirty minutes, Karin comes over to me, and places my hands on her hips. "Where were you, Sasuke? I couldn't find you!" she told me. She was lying. She planted a kiss on my lips briefly and I felt nothing. So she was going to pretend like that never happened. Like whatever she was doing a minute ago never happened with my best friend.

"Hey Sasuke, let's go!" Suigetsu called out to me, smacking my back. I'm watching if there's anything strange between them, after they both cheated me, but it was normal. I was the only one being tense. Of course they would act normal. They probably perfected the art being normal for five months. Did Jugo know about this? "Earth to Sasuke?"

Karin tugged my arms. "Are you okay?" she asks me in my ear. "Later we can…"

"No," I say. I realize I'm done with this. This was the last straw. I've come to the realization that I didn't want a relationship like I had with Karin. Whenever I see Lisa and Itachi laughing and teasing each other, staying true to another, I wanted a relationship like that. I see the way Lisa looks at Itachi. I want a girl to someday look at me like I'm her world. With Karin, it's like I'm some sort of useable tissue that she can stomp all over. She never made me feel like I was worth it. Well now? I was done with that it wasn't even funny.

"No… what?" Karin asked me. Suigestu stopped walking. I let go of her, facing her.

"I'm done with all your crap Karin. It's over between me and you," I tell her, looking at her straight in the eye.

"Why?" I see she's near in tears. Oh gosh no. I did not know what to do when girls cried. I feel like saying it's okay, but it's not. And I can't pretend like I don't mind Karin cheating on me with everyone. And my best friend for five months.

"I'm just done with you, Karin," I say to her. Adding salt to injury I add, "We can be friends."

After I broke up with her, we only kissed once and that was when I was drunk and stupid. Other than that, I never told Suigetsu I knew, and he never mentioned it.

But more than anything, I'm glad that I broke it off with Karin.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Whew. Sasuke's past is so much fun! Should I write more of it?**

**Shout out to all of those who review! You guys are awesome!**

**Until next time(:**


	10. Chapter 10

**I apologize for my stupid mistakes I made. Truth is, I NEVER EVER check my work for ANYTHING. My teacher even got on me to that. She's all like: "Do you even proofread?" And I'm like "uhhh...nobody got time for that." But on a more serious note, I know, I KNOW, checking my work over is vital so I won't look like a complete idjit. But I'm not perfect. Oh, so far from perfect. So if you see something wrong, I thank you for pointing it out to me nicely. Haters gonna hate. Okay. I'll shut up now.**

XX

"Father, I'm going to go with Sai," I tell my dad as I put on my shoes. I told him this two days ago, but I'm pretty sure that he forgot we even had this conversation.

"Sai?" my dad's nose crinkles a little in disgust. "Are you spending so much time with him that your grades are slipping? Sakura, I already told you I'm disappointed in you that you quit cheerleading, and I don't want to see any grade below a 95." Kate comes over next to my dad.

"I don't even know why you quit," Kate says. Of course she has to say something. She feels the need to always get in the conversation of me and my dad. Thinking about her, makes me think about my mom's journal in my book bag right now. "I totally loved being a cheerleader." I'm sure she did. "Besides, that Ino girl seemed very nice." Yeah, Ino is as nice as looking at a rat.

"You have to be here by nine," my dad says. "No exceptions." Most people would have curfew at twelve, at least Sai did. Me? Nine thirty. If I'm lucky.

"Maybe you should volunteer more since you're not doing anything. Maybe…shop with me?" Kate suggests. Oh anything but shop with her. I did once, for my dad, and she spend three hours in one store deciding if she wanted a lavender or purple purse. Then she forgot we were actually shopping for me to get a dress, and so I had to wear what I wore last year to some social party thing.

It was horrible. The shopping part and wearing a dress part.

"You should Sakura, since you have so much free time now that you're not cheerleading," my dad said.

I'm guessing I don't have a say in this matter. If I say no, my dad will just give me his death glares saying there is trouble to come, and he'll spout some crap about hurting Kate's feelings. And even though I'm not cheerleading, I still volunteer at the local nursing home and the daycare near my school that I needed to go this weekend, and I am still in many clubs.

"I'll see," I say, going out the door, a faint throbbing in my head forming. My dad always pressures me to do my best. Always. And even if I am, he pushed me even harder. Not once has he ever said he was proud of what I did. Because good just wasn't enough for him.

"Gosh, it took you long enough," Sai greets me as I go in his car.

"Sorry, I think I just made myself go shopping with Kate," I say.

"Oh fun," Sai deadpans. Sai really loves shopping, but shopping with Kate is to another extreme.

"Yeah, no," I say, putting on my seatbelt as Sai head to the nursing home.

"So…today," Sai says, raising an eyebrow. "What happened with Sasuke?"

"Nothing," I lie. But Sai just gives me a look. I sigh and I tell him about the study kit.

"Maybe you should have given him a chance to explain," Sai says, ever the logical one.

"There is no explanation! He showed Karin and obviously laughed at it," I say. "It was stupid."

"Make sure you have an open mind if he talks to you again," Sai says.

When we got to the nursing home, the three people we look after- Erina, Katsu and Yemi- were all sitting down and painting on a canvas. I know Sai inspired them.

"Why hello there, our favorite youngins, how are you faring today?" Erina asks, painting an apple. "And Sai, do you think this red is the right shade or is the lighting off?"

"No, I think it looks very good."

"I think we should do a still life," Yemi says. She's painting something that looks like a pumpkin.

"That would be a great idea. And it should be a female model," Katsu agrees. "Sakura? Any chance you-"

"Don't scare away poor Sakura," Erina says, pointing her red paintbrush at him. "But I say a male model would be good."

"Female," Katsu says. "I'm working on making my paintings more…real."

"The closest female you'll ever get to seeing is the ones in those magazines," Yemi snorts. She turns to us. "Why don't you guys sit and paint with us?"

"Well, I'm not good at painting," I say. Or drawing. I can't draw to save my life.

"No, no, you should try at least," Erina urges, sitting me down on a chair facing an empty canvas.

"Okay," I shrug and grab a paintbrush. The nursing home was pretty cool because while some old people like this man named Sarutobi were kind of bitter, there were others that were pretty cool. The volunteers that work with them only have to talk or do something with the elderly people they are assigned to. Thankfully, Sai showed them how painting could be fun and is better than playing bingo. Although, they do sometimes make us play some bingo while we're here.

"Sakura," Sai says, coming beside me.

"Yeah?" I ask, stroking the sky.

"Your tree looks like a broccoli."

OO

"Don't you guys ever get bored of playing basketball?" Karin is sitting on the one bench that is near the river court after school, and after Sakura was angry at me. Tomorrow I had to fix things. Basketball just makes me cool off. Besides, I had a basketball game tomorrow so practice wouldn't hurt. More practice than what the coach, Gai, gave the basketball team.

"Nope," Jugo answers, shooting. "You should try."

"Ugh. No thanks. I'd rather go to the beach and tan," Karin says, but she continues watching us, texting on her phone from time to time.

"Don't tell me you guys dropped out of school," I say to them.

"Nah, we're just ditching, you know, how we always use to do," Suigetsu says, stealing the ball from me and dunking it. The ball rolls into the grass. Suigetsu turns to me. "Don't tell me that you haven't ditched school yet."

"I haven't," I say, kind of proud of myself. In my other school, I did not have really good attendance record. I always wouldn't go, and my mom would get mad at me and Itachi would play his role as brother/father, and that more than anything annoyed me, so I did go to school and then just leave, just to piss off Itachi. It worked.

"Oh wow, look at you! You should win the dork award," Suigetsu snickers.

"I think that's cool, Sasuke," Jugo interjects. "You're finally getting serious about school. You're smart, so you shouldn't be lazy like Suigetsu is."

"Aw come on, Sasuke was the one that forced us to ditch school in the middle of the school day so we could smoke," Suigetsu says.

"Yeah, when I was stupid," I say. Suigetsu looks at me like I've grown another head.

"Changed man my butt," Suigetsu says. "You are pretty stupid still."

My smile falters, thinking of him and Karin. I was stupid then. Not now. "Well," I say, grabbing the basketball from the grass, and looking Suigetsu straight in the eye, "when it comes to relationships, I'm not going to be stupid anymore."

Suigetsu just gives me a blank stare and breaks out into a huge grin. "Which reminds me of this cute girl I met at the beach. She had pink hair."

"You met Sakura?" Karin asks before I do.

"Ya know her?" Suigetsu asks.

"She tutors Sasuke," Karin says smugly, looking at me.

"Woah, you have her wrapped around your fingers yet or can I have her?" Suigetsu asks.

"Neither," I say through clenched teeth. "Stay away from her, Suigetsu."

"Just say the word, and I'm off," Suigetsu says, but I see a little glint in his eyes. Like some sort of challenge.

XX

The next morning, Sai was busy with helping the art club and since the student council didn't meet for another two weeks, I didn't have clubs to think about. Just hanging around in the morning, being lucky if I saw Hinata. And it was raining too, and I forgot my umbrella, so my hair was kind of soaked. In the parking lot I also saw Rock Lee and wanted to say hi, but right when our eyes met and I saw his bruised face, he turned away from me and went the other direction.

When I went to go to my first period, the people I saw were Ino who was talking to Sasuke. Just the vision I wanted to see early in the morning.

"I'm so excited for the game today," I hear Ino say as I pass them. "I'm so sure you guys are going to win."

"You bet we will," I hear Sasuke say. Then, "Sakura!" a deep voice calls out to me. It was Sasuke's voice. I'm going to ignore him. "Sakura! Hey! Wait!" I keep walking though, and I can hear his footsteps behind me.

"What?" I ask, turning around, irritated. I don't even want to look at him right now. Did he not just hear what I told him yesterday? Maybe he's hard of hearing. _Very_ hard of hearing. Because I am pretty sure I made my point across clearly yesterday.

Our eyes meet, and he gave me a lazy smile, one that I am sure melts all the girls' hearts in the world. "I love it," he says to me, looking at me earnestly.

"Love what?" I ask, but I don't think I have to. For some reason, I feel myself feeling a little happy about this.

"My tutoring kit," he replies.

"Yeah right," I scoff, remembering what Karin said.

"No it- she- I never showed it to anyone. She just saw it and touched it before I could," Sasuke tells me. "I just figured out after you were mad at me. I don't think anything you do is stupid."

I'm looking at him, and his dark eyes are boring into mines. We're looking at each other for a couple of seconds. Karin was in his room? What was his history with her? I mean there has to be something with them. Besides, she's really pretty.

"You really liked it?" I manage to say. Was he just messing with me?

"Yeah," he answers. "The note really inspired me." I laugh and swat him, then stop when I realize what I'm doing. He's looking at me, his crazy spiky hair flat probably because of the rain. I stopped breathing when he's looking at me that way. I think he's about to kiss me.

I quickly look away before I do anything stupid, clearing my throat. "Tutoring is still on today."

"Great," he says, still looking at me that way. He needed to stop before I did something crazy. Because I was already thinking about crazy things like kissing Sasuke Uchiha right then and there.

"Bye," I say, giving a small smile, walking away from him. Sai was right. I should have given him a chance to speak.

"Sakura?" he calls.

"Yeah?" I say, turning to him.

He places his hands in the pockets of his jeans looking bashful for once. My heart skips a beat. He looked too hot. It was impossible to look that good like Sasuke Uchiha. "I mean it, thank you."

After the school day is over, I head to the school library for the tutoring session with Sasuke. During the tutoring session, I explain to Sasuke about memorizing important dates, and he just nods his head. "Gotcha. So, are you coming to the game?" he asks. He leans in at looks at me.

"I'm your tutor, not your cheerleader," I reply.

"You coming to the game will increase my chance of acing my math test tomorrow by a hundred percent," he tells me smoothly. "And I think, as your job as a tutor, that you should increase my chances of passing."

"You're not even going to notice me," I say.

"Not true. I'm going to look for you," he tells me.

"I have other things to do," I say, getting up. "But I might." Sasuke gives me his contagious grin.

"I'll be looking for my number one fan," he tells me as he gets up and joins his other basketball teammates into the hallways.

"Y-you should go," Hinata is beside me, sneaking up on me. I narrow my eyes slightly. "It seems like Sasuke wants you to go."

"I'm not even sure why," I grumble. "Hey- are you going?"

"Wha- no way," Hinata shakes her head. "There isn't anyone I can root for."

"What about Naruto?" I ask, talking about the yellow haired goof that I think Hinata liked. I mean I thought they were on the steps to friendship or something more.

"Yeah," Sai appears out of nowhere, popping up unexpectedly. "Naruto? Did he ask for you to watch him?"

"No he didn't," Hinata looks over passed my shoulders and I turn around, watching Naruto talk to one of the cheerleaders, making her laugh. I just wanted to go there and punch both Naruto and the cheerleader.

"Who cares," I say. "You don't need someone to ask you to watch the silly basketball game."

"But Sasuke asked you," Hinata points out. Not where I was going with this.

"Sasuke asked you to watch him?" Sai asks. "Well, what are you doing? Ain't we going?"

"I have stuff to do, people to meet, places to go-"

"Don't give me that," Sai says, cutting me off. "Hinata, worry not, we are going. And we will see as Naruto and Sasuke looks hot sweating and playing basketball."

"R-really?" Hinata asks.

"Yes, really," Sai nods, giving me a sideways glance. "Right, Sakura?"

"Does it look like I have a choice?"

"No, not really," Sai looks at Hinata, swinging his arm around her. "Now…all we need to do is to go to the after party the basketball players have. Then we can attack Naruto."

"Attack?" Hinata asked in a squeaky voice. I roll my eyes.

"Yes, we are going to make you into a weapon. One that Naruto will forget all about that ugly cheerleader he's talking to right now," Sai answers. "Trust me."

I look over at Hinata. "Usually when he tells you that, you should run away in the other direction."

"She's jealous that I'm fabulous," Sai says, shrugging.

So it was decided, just like that we were all going to the basketball game.

Sai, Hinata and I make our way in the back stands, with the game already starting, where I spot the guy from the other day I met at the beach. Suigetsu. Sasuke's friend. He also spots me and waves at me. I also see Karin there who is shooting me the death glare.

I glare back.

I don't even know why I came to the basketball game. I'm a hundred percent sure that his whole if-you-come-I'll-pass-my-math-test is a bunch of horse crap.

But I came anyways. And I know he's not going to notice me.

Then, when he makes a dunk, which is really cool I have to admit, I see him search for the crowd.

No way, he can't be possibly looking for-

He points in my direction, and even from the high stands, we make eye contact. He's pointing his finger at me, nodding and smiling, and the whole crowd turns to his pointing figure, which is at _me_. They're kind of confused, and I feel my face going hot.

"No way, he's looking for you," Sai says, jostling me. "_Tres_ hot."

After the basketball game ended, and we won, Sasuke made his way towards me at the parking lot. I also see Sai and Hinata talking to Naruto. Sai looks over at me and gives me a thumbs up. I guess Hinata and Naruto are doing well, and I'm happy for them. Hinata deserves to have the hot jock. I think they'd make a really good couple.

Sasuke comes in front of me. "Hey there's an after party, want to come with me?" Sasuke asks me. I needed to stop thinking he was cute when he was wearing his basketball jersey. Or when he looks really cool dunking and shooting a basketball.

"I came to your game," I say, "what else do you want me to do?"

"I think if you come to this party, it'll increase my chance of-"

"Stop," I laugh. "I'm not going. Curfew." It was nearly nine.

"So you're saying if you didn't have curfew, you'd come with me?" Sasuke asks, tilting his head.

"Never said that, but think what you want," I say.

"Dream of me," he smirks.

"Don't count on it."

OO

Suigetsy, Jugo, Karin and I were all at the party at Shikamaru's house, who was a decent enough basketball player. I didn't even want to go because Sakura wasn't going, but they all dragged me to come.

The whole time, all the cheerleaders tried to talk to me, Ino practically sat on my lap, but I, much to Suigetsu's surprise, shrugged her off of me. But that didn't seem to faze her because she went on to the next guy basketball player.

Near the end of the party when we were all about to leave in the door way someone spilled their beer all over me. The guy, who was Shino in my science class, a major bug expert, looks over at me in fear. "I am s-so sorry," he tells me. "I-I'll clean it up."

"No, that's okay," I tell him. "Honest." Shino looks at me skeptically. Like he thinks I'm going to sock him any time now. "It's just a shirt. I can clean it off." He nods and scurries off.

Karin looks at me, completely appalled. I look at my friends, who appear to be surprised.

"Stop," Karin grits her teeth, Suigetsu looks away. "Just stop Sasuke. Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" I ask, irritated.

"You're so freakin' happy all the time! It's okay to get mad," Karin says.

I didn't expect to hear that. "It's complicated."

"Complicated?" she laughs. "What's so complicated, Sasuke? Seeing you be happy all the time when I know as well as Suigetsu and Jugo you're slowly dying in the inside?"

"Stop," I warn her. I didn't want to go there. Not when I think I just found myself out of there.

"No seriously," Karin says. "No one here knows you. The real you."

"People change," I say. I changed.

"You changing?" Suigetsu laughs. "Sasuke, if I remember correctly it was when you were a freshmen that you practically beat up the entire football team at a party. For the fun of it. If a guy spilled something on you, you would have beaten him up." There were things that I know I buried a long time ago. Things I didn't want to remember. At all. I have to say a year or two ago, I was stupid. I was just angry at the whole world. I felt like it was me against the whole world.

"I don't want to deal with this right now," I say, calmly, more calm than I felt. It was true, I did get angry and I did have a quick temper. But I couldn't be angry. I look over at Karin and Suigetsu and think to myself that I'm not angry about Suigetsu and Karin, and for the longest time I kept telling myself I didn't care. And I believed me.

"Whatever, Sasuke, but sooner or later, you know you can't hide your past forever," Suigetsu said, leaving with Karin. "Sooner or later, you're going to realize you're not this peaceful Sasuke, good Sasuke, you're none of that. It's going to blow up in your face." They leave to go to my car, and I'm feeling hollow inside. The only thing that hurt me was that they were right. I was hiding something in me that I don't know if I ever wanted to come out again. I _was_ dying slowly inside.

Karin was right.

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	11. Chapter 11

"So you've been reading your mom's journal?" Sai asks me.

"Yeah," I say as I put the journal in my book bag. "I have also been writing my own things in their too."

"No tutoring?" Sai asks me.

"Nope," I say. Sasuke didn't come to school for the past two days. As his tutor, it was rather annoying. But I found myself looking for him in the hallways the past two days. The second day after school, I get called to the principal's office.

"Figure out where he is, and bring him back to school," Tsunade orders me.

Like I can do that.

Well, actually, I can. I can go to his house and drop his work off and tell him to come. But I don't know if he'd listen. Whatever was going on with him. Yep, I was worried about Sasuke. After school, I tell Sai my plan.

"Bring pepper spray, and bring me," Sai tells me as soon as I tell him I'm going.

"You? What can you do?" I smile.

"I'll stay in the car so no one will hi-jack it," Sai assures.

I roll me eyes as I tell Sai the directions. When we get to Sasuke's neighborhoods, all the houses seem to have one floor, and there are people outside, smoking something other than cigarettes and drinking, laughing.

And staring when I walk out.

I swallow.

"Don't make eye contact," Sai whispers. "If anything happens to you, just know that I have 911 on speed dial."

"You have the pizza man on speed dial," I say.

"Okay, yeah, but that's so not the point," Sai says. I get out of the car, and knock on the door.

I see a pretty woman who looks like she's in her early thirties open the door, with long black hair and eyes that match. "Uh, is Sasuke here?" I ask her.

"Who are you?" the woman narrows her eyes at me.

"A….friend," I lie. We weren't even acquaintances.

"Pink hair…" she muses, then breaks out into a smirk as if she knows something I don't. "Come in." she ushers me inside and I glance back at Sai, who's jamming to music in his iPod.

"Sasuke is in his room," his mom said. Wow, she was really pretty.

"I'll go there- I'm here for his homework," I say quickly, getting the papers and walking to his room. I slowly open the door and see him lying on his bed, throwing a basketball up and down.

"You know, most people knock before they enter a room," he tells me.

"I'm not most people," I shoot back.

"True," Sasuke says, sitting up. "Why are you here?" He doesn't look happy to see me. That's a first. I was so use to him breaking out into a grin when he saw me. No one has ever looked at me the way Sasuke did when he always smiled at me when our eyes met every time.

"Why didn't you come to school?" I ask him.

"Didn't feel like it," Sasuke answers. I wish _I _could just not feel like it and not go. But my dad would have a heart attack.

"Look, Sasuke," I began then thought better of it than to lecture him, "here's your homework." He gestures to put it on his desk, and I see a picture of him and a man. Probably his father. "You're welcome."

"No one is ever going to thank you for bringing them homework," Sasuke says. My back is still towards Sasuke.

I take a deep breath. "Come to school Sasuke."

"Why?" he asks, almost bitter. What happened? I want to know, and I hate myself for even wanting to. But I do truly want to know.

I turn to face him, realizing that what I was going to say was absolutely, positively a hundred percent true. "Because your tutor misses you."

With that, before he can even get a word out, I walk away, thank Sasuke's mother, and hurry to the car.

"Well? Did you confess your undying love for him?" Sai asks when I get in the passenger seat.

"No," I reply.

"And here I was thinking I was about to get robbed," Sai reverses from the driveway. "He coming to school?"

"I'm not sure."

OO

After a few minutes of Sakura leaving my house, Jugo comes in knocking on my door.

"Sasuke, you know, I would like to know about this girl," my mother tells me as I open the door. "The pink haired girl."

"No way," I tell my mom, looking at her, smiling a little. Her lips twitch, and more than anything, I want to see her smile and laugh. She swats me as she goes to her room to sleep.

"You didn't go to school today..again," was the first thing Jugo says when he walks in.

"Nope," I tell him.

"Well?" Jugo sat on the couch. "What's up? What did you come up with after Karin said those stuff?"

"I'm trying to be a better person than I was," I rub my neck, looking at Jugo. "Maybe my temper is a little high, and of course fights just give me that adrenaline rush…"

"But you calmed down more," Jugo comments. "Sasuke, if someone looked at you the wrong way, you'd want to start something."

"I was pretty hot headed, huh?" I sit next to him.

"Yeah you were," Jugo shook his head. "And then when you were with Karin…beat up every guy she hooked up with. Which, by the way, was a lot."

"I know," I say, looking at the wall besides me. Karin didn't make me feel good about myself. She made me feel as if I wasn't worth anything; I could be replaced with any guy she could get her hands on.

"Ditching school though? Old habits die hard," Jugo says to me.

"No, I just wanted to get away from everything," I say. Get away from the gang, the constant reminder of Kiba lingering there that the Akatsuki was out there to get me.

We were quiet for a few seconds.

"So this Sakura girl," Jugo begins and I groan. I did not want to talk about Sakura to Jugo. Or anyone. "What? She's pretty, and she seems she doesn't like you. At all."

"She doesn't," I tell him. But she's real with me. That's something I need in my life.

"That's a first. Good luck with her," Jugo laughs.

"I'll need it," I admit. But the fact that she even came over here, and she said that…

XX

The first thing I see when I come to school the next day is Sasuke Uchiha in front of my locker, looking like his handsome self.

"Good morning," he says, smiling at me, like he always did. Whatever happened yesterday was gone now. I hated that I cared about him. I just knew that I didn't want to see him sad. Whatever this meant, I didn't want to know.

"What made you decide to come to school today?" I ask casually. Maybe his mother forced him.

"Oh, you know, because of my number one fan. You see, I can't disappoint her," Sasuke answers. I look up at him, and his eyes lock into mine. We stand there for a second.

"Well, she's not disappointed," I say, breaking away the heated gaze. He actually came for me? I was thrilled he came.

The bell rang.

"See you later, number one fan," Sasuke waves at me with his back turned.

OO

I was called at the principal's office again.

Seriously, this was a world record.

"I see Sakura forced you to come," Tsunade says to me. Yep, if Sakura told me she missed me, I don't think I have a choice but to come. "Let me tell you something, Uchiha. I know your kind. Bad boy, and all. It's written all over you."

Can't argue with that.

"But you have potential," Tsunade says. "So much potential, I would hate to see you waste it away. I see your grades. They're all good. On top of that, you're playing a sport too, and you're very good. You can do it. I'm not just saying this because I have to. I'm saying this because I see it in you. Not many people have what you have. You have something going for you."

"Thank you," because what else can I say when someone is complimenting you and you don't really believe them?

"Hope you're not giving Sakura any trouble," Tsunade looks at me knowingly, and I can only give her a wide eyed innocent stare.

"Me? Cause trouble? Never," I lie, thinking back to what Suigetsu and Karin told me.

"Go to class," Tsunade narrows her eyes and I leave the office. I go to Kakashi's class, and take a seat while the bell is ringing. When I saw Rock Lee come in class, he had bruises all over his face still- it happened a couple of days ago too. It would figure. Sooner or later he would have been beaten especially with an attitude like that.

"Hey Sasuke," Naruto turns around from his seat. "Do you want to go to the ramen store sometime? I heard it's really good." Naruto was a really big goofy guy. For some reason, I liked him.

"Sure thing."

"Sasuke," Kakashi says to me after I'm getting up. "You're switching your class periods."

"Why?" I ask, confused.

"Well, I think it would be better if you don't get provoked in the class with Rock Lee in," Kakashi told me.

"Then what class period am I in?" I ask. Just when I kind of liked the people in the class, except Lee, I just had to move.

"The next class period," Kakashi says. "So you're staying here. Your new schedule will be given to you after this."

Great. I sigh and slump in my chair, looking at the window.

"I'm, like so- oh my gosh! Sasuke! What are you doing here?" I hear someone say. Ino is looking at me, with her pretty blue eyes.

"I'm in this class now," I shrug.

"Ohmygawsh! Me too!" she squeals. "This is going to be awesome."

No it wasn't.

Then something attracts my eyes. I see _her _walking through the room talking with that guy she's always with. The teacher just said Lee was going to cause problems. No he wasn't. Not as much as I wanted to beat up Sai.

I see her laughing, and smiling, and I wonder why she doesn't laugh as much, or at all when she's with me. I would love to make her laugh and smile. But the guy with her does that. He just rubs me the wrong way.

Sakura looks up from him and opens her mouth when she sees me. I give her a wave. She's walking towards me.

"Hey number one," I tell her, grinning. She doesn't look happy though. In fact, she kind of looks pissed off.

"You're in my seat," she tells me.

"You can sit with me," I tell her.

"Not happening," she huffs, and tries to go away but Kakashi calls to her.

"Sakura, you can sit next to Sasuke," he says.

"But-"

"No buts," Kakashi says.

She doesn't look too happy to sit next to me and sighs, sitting at the seat next to mine. She gives that guy a look.

I give him a glare.

XX

This cannot be happening.

First: Sasuke stole my favorite seat that has a great view of the window. He steals my ribbon, now he steals my seat? Oh, I totally see where his life is headed.

Second: Sasuke is in one of my classes.

It's bad enough I'm his tutor. Now he sits next to me? Language arts is probably one of my favorite classes too, and Sasuke being there just..makes it weird. And Ino is here too. I see the looks she gives him. Revolting, really.

"Why are you even here?" I hiss under my breath.

"I've been a bad student," he whispers back.

"Yeah, I can see that," I say.

He just chuckles as Kakashi is reading those books he always is reading. "No talking, guys. Finish your packets and we'll discuss them tomorrow."

This is really bad. I cannot concentrate on anything- not with me being fully aware of Sasuke. Really bad.

"Seat stealer," I have to say to him.

"Not really since I'm a period before you, so actually, you are the one that took my seat," he says to me.

I want to move seats, like to the back corner of the room, away from Sasuke, but I can't. Once Kakashi assigns you a seat, you have to take that seat.

After an excruciating hour of doing some sign language to Sai because we couldn't talk, and trying to not look at Sasuke, the class was finally over and I bolt out of the class before Sasuke even thinks about talking to me.

Later during the say, when school is over, I'm watching as the cheerleaders are trying to do back flips out in the school front court yard. I sigh, and look away. Maybe I should try out for golf.

"Sakura," Sai looks at me. "We need another person on our soccer team this afternoon. Can you ask Sasuke?"

"Wha- why him?" I ask. Anyone but him. "Ask Naruto."

"Ask him!" Sai hisses. "He's our new classmate!"

"Why do I have to?" I ask, looking at Sasuke at the vending machine. "He's not going to go."

"Come on, Sakura. You really are heartless. I _have_ to win the soccer game," Sai says.

"He won't come through," I say.

"If you ask him, trust me, he's going to come he will if _you_ ask," Sai says. I roll my eyes. Okay, so he did come to school because I told him. But. Still.

"Fine," I huff. "But don't say I told you so. For some reason, he doesn't like you."

"Yeah?" Sai asks, "And why in the world would you think that? Of course he hates me. I'm with you all the time. One of these days, you're going to see me in an alley all beaten up."

"Aww, you poor baby," I pinch Sai's cheeks, and he swats me.

"Ask him, you demonic person," Sai says.

"Okay, okay," I grin as Sai looks at me, blinking a couple of times.

I walk over to Sasuke who is still looking at the vending machine, as if deciding what he wanted to get. All that's in there is unhealthy snacks.

"Sasuke," I greet. He stops looking at glances at me. His whole face breaks out into a smile.

"Hey number one fan," Sasuke greets. I just want to punch myself for even thinking he has a wonderful smile. "You want anything?" Sasuke gestures at the vending machine.

"Uh, no thanks," I say, a little taken aback by his generosity.

"Hm, what would you recommend?" Sasuke asks.

I'm sure it doesn't take too long to pick something. "Anything chocolate is good for me," I reply.

"Anything chocolate…" Sasuke muses, pushing a button and getting out my all time favorite candy, Hershey's Cookie and Cream. My mouth is starting to water. He extends his hand so I can take it.

"No, really, I don't want it," I lie.

"No really, take it," Sasuke says, still holding out his hand.

"Fine, then just give me half," I say. Sasuke breaks it in what is more like a third, and I take the bigger half.

"You got the bigger piece!" Sasuke chuckles. Then he leans in and takes a bite of my portion. "There, now we're even." He's so close to me, I can smell his fresh scent that is really intoxicating. And those eyes…

Must. Remember. Why. I. Am. Here.

I clear my throat. "Anyways, Sasuke, I have a question to ask you," I start, glancing over at where Sai was loitering, looking at a poster of Ino and…drawing a mustache on Ino's face. Typical Sai.

"Anything," Sasuke says, cocking his head at me, staring at me with those intense eyes of his.

"Um," I momentarily forget why I even am talking to him. This needed to stop. He had this strange affect on me I wasn't willingly to admit to even myself. "Sai is having a soccer team thing, and he wanted to know if you would like to join this afternoon. Like in two minutes."

Sasuke just looks at me. "Will you be there?"

"Yes she will," Sai is suddenly next to me, holding my hand and giving it a tight squeeze. Sasuke doesn't take his eyes off me.

"Count me in then," Sasuke nods at me, and walks away.

Sai just looks at me.

"Don't. Say. Anything," I say.

"Oh, I wasn't going to," Sai says innocently. "But I am sure you're just as curious as me how well Sasuke can play soccer."

Turns out to be, Sasuke was really good at playing soccer.

Can this guy do anything wrong?

Oh yeah, be a gang member.

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL, " the announcer person screams when Sai makes a goal. Sai high fives Naruto and does a little victory dance.

I'm getting excited watching this game. Then I see Lee saying something to Sasuke. Sasuke just shakes his head, and tries to walk away, but Lee shoves him.

Crap.

I look at the crowd, and see Tsunade looking over at me. Okay, what was she doing here anyways? It wasn't really a school event? But I see her with this long white haired man. She's looking at me like she's expecting me to do something. What the heck can I do? I'm not going to be stupid and jump in a fight. Tsunade motions for me to go there. I swallow. The thing is, I don't think I can do anything. As if Sasuke would actually listen to me if I said anything. Then again, he did join the soccer game when I asked him to.

I stand up and quickly walk towards them.

"You obviously don't understand sportsmanship," I hear Sasuke telling Lee.

"I'm just better than you guys," Lee sneers.

I see Sasuke and Lee going toe to toe with one another. Sasuke is taller and more built than Lee. "Oh yeah?" Sasuke challenges.

"Sasuke!" was the only thing that I could think of. Smart move, Sakura. Real smart. Sasuke's head turns towards me, and he still looks pissed off. I've never seen him pissed, and he looks really scary. When he sees it's me, his expression softens a little. Now I need to say something else not so stupid. "Uh- wow you're good at soccer," I say. Nice one again, Sakura. Come over here and try to stop a fight and I don't even have a plan. "I'm so glad I came." I step towards him, and take his hand, trying to tug him away from Lee. Much to my surprise, he doesn't resist.

"What is this?" Sasuke raises an eyebrow and I shrug. "Did my number one just compliment me? I have to say, you sure know how to boost my ego."

"Your already big ego," I say. "And when I said good, I mean you didn't completely suck like I thought you would."

"But you're glad you came," Sasuke states.

I did say that a second ago, didn't I? "Well yes, because Sai is here," I say, backtracking.

"Uchiha! Get in the field, man!" I hear Naruto call.

"Well gotta go," Sasuke takes our holding hands and brings my hand to his lips. "Watch me."

He runs towards the field, and I'm just standing there, a little dazed. I have to snap out of it. He was always teasing and flirting and he doesn't mean anything by it. I always see girls talking to him, and I'm one hundred percent sure he says all this to Ino too. I look over at Tsunade, who nods at me in approval. Maybe I did just stop him from fighting. I turn around and am face to face with Karin.

"Sakura, right?" Karin asks. She was dressed in a pretty yellow dress that came above her knees with cute wedges. She definitely came here to see or visit Sasuke.

"Yep," I say cautiously. Last time I heard, she snooped around through Sasuke's things. And I don't even know if Sasuke is dating her or not.

I mean she was in his room.

"I suggest you stay away from Sasuke. He's not yours," Karin says. "He's mine."

"You're dating him?" I got the words out. I knew it. Of course he had to have a girlfriend.

"Of course I am, silly, you didn't know that?" Karin laughs. "Why would he spend his time on…" she looks over my clothes. I am never self conscious about the t-shirts and jeans/sweat combo, but the way she's looking at me like it's totally revolting really makes me want to punch her in the face. "On someone like you? I mean don't you know he's not interested in ugly rich girls?"

That just did it.

"Sakuraaa!" I hear someone call me before I did something I may regret. Well actually, punching Karin in the face? Nope, I wouldn't regret it.

Sai.

"Oh Sakuraa!" Sai looks at Karin then at me. Karin gives me a sneer and walks off. "What was that, love?"

"I'm not really sure," I grumble. I look over to where Sasuke is playing, and I wonder one thing.

What makes Sasuke Uchiha tick?

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	12. Chapter 12

OO

I'm not sure why I'm even here in the daycare. I guess I did need the volunteer hours like Kakashi told me that I did, so I decided to do it somewhere, and the daycare was where they were accepting volunteers.

Then Itachi and Lisa also told me that I should do it.

"Of course you should! I can picture you with kids!" Itachi laughed when I told him about it. Lisa swatted him with her hand.

"Sasuke, I'm sure the children will love you," Lisa assured me.

The thing is, I don't think I work well with children. They're usually scared of me for some reason. And just thinking of children makes me think of my unborn nephew.

I enter the front desk of the daycare and am greeted by a man with a huge scar across his nose. "Hello. You must be the volunteer Sasuke Uchiha. I'm Iruka." He holds out his hand, and I shake it. "The kids here are great. All you have to do is just play with them or just watch over them."

He takes me to a small room, which looks like a classroom, with its small tables and chairs and those fake kitchens. In the back of the room is an open door, and I can see the playground outside.

"Thank you Sasuke- have fun!" Iruka abruptly leaved before I can even ask anything else. A million different things were going through my head, and all of a sudden I'm nervous. So far, there are no children in sight, but I do hear yelling outside.

I scan the room and see one girl with blonde hair sitting at a table, all alone. I walk to her and kneel next to her. "Hey, what are you doing?" I ask her, in a gentle voice.

She looks at me bashfully. "Mister Teapot."The girl motions to all the stuffed animals around the table.

"I'm Sasuke," I tell her.

"I'm Shirley," the little girl says.

"Can I play?" I ask her, looking nervously at the stuffed animals. Truth be told, I was always creeped with stuffed animals. Those and clowns.

"You can sit on that one, next to Mr. Freckles. He's the bear," she tells me. I don't think I can fit to these little chairs, but I sit on it anyways. Next to a stuffed animal named Freckles.

"What is the little pony called?" I ask her, pointing a blue horse.

"She's Chubly," the girl says, pouring an unknown liquid into my cup. "Drink it. It's actual tea."

I shrug, wondering that there would be no harm done, until I actually drink it. I choke on it. "W-what is this?"

"It's milk with water and some juice and I didn't have sugar so I used salt and it is all heated up.," the girl blinks at me innocently.

Man that was disgusting.

"It tastes…" I try to get the words out, "really good. Did you come up with that?" I'm sure she did not know what tea actually was.

"Yeah!" she exclaims happy. "You're the only one who played mister teapot with me. The girls just think I'm weird and the boys think I have this thing called coots."

"Coots?" I ask. I'm telling ya, kids these days have the weirdest phrases.

"Short for cooties," she crinkles her nose. "I don't have coots do I?"

"Nah, the boys probably like you," I say.

"You think so? Will they play mister teapot with me?" she asks me earnestly.

Probably not, but, "It won't hurt to ask them."

"They're too busy playing this game dinosaur. And dinosaurs scare me," she says.

"Why don't you play on the playground?" I motion at where the other kids are playing.

"They won't let me on," she frowns. "That's their house. But that's okay though. I don't mind playing with my teapot friends."

Little children can sure be mean. I remember there was this bully at school that was big and fat who picked on the weak. One day I got tired of his stupid antics, so I told him and I did end up getting punched in the face, getting a black eye, and being scolded all in the process but then the next day I just went up to him and socked him right in the jaw. That did not bode well with my mom. Itachi congratulated me and laughed at me, saying he was proud. Man, back then, I nearly worshipped him for being so cool.

"How about we go over there and you ride the slide?" I suggest to her, looking over to see other kids playing.

"You think they'll let me?" she asks.

"We'll just have to invade their house then," I shrug. I take out my hand to her, and she places her tiny hand in mine as we go outside and towards the small playground.

"Shirley!" a little boy with a strange hat says as he's standing on top of the playground. "What brings you here?"

"Konohamaru, I just want to ride the slide," Shirely says, her hand squeezing mine.

"Let her ride," I say, glaring at the small boy. The small boy crosses his arms.

"You'll have to fight me first!" the boy Konohamaru says.

Oh brother.

"Then come and fight me," I say, and I didn't even think he'd actually hop off the top of the playground and charge at me. With ten other little boys. I get in front of Shirley. "Shirley- stay behind me." I'm defenseless as they jump on me, hitting me and punching me. Where was the teacher?

"He's still standing!" one boy shouts.

"He can't be taken down!" another shouts.

They suddenly stop and I see a group of girls are watching us now.

"I have to applaud you," Konohamaru says. "You withstood our attack." He and the rest of the ten boys bow down. "We are your student and you are our master."

How did this even happen?

"Uh-"

"Wow! Did you see that? He was like a knight in shining armor!" I hear one girl squeal.

"He's so cool!"

"He's cute!"

"Can he be my boyfriend?"

I look back at Shirley who's looking at me with an open mouth. I nod at her. "She can go on the slide, right?" I ask the Konohamaru kid.

"Whatever you say, Master," Konohamaru says, and they make a way for Shirley to go on the slide.

"Okay and all of you, be nice to Shirley," I say to them.

"Yes, Master," the ten boys all say.

"O…kay," I say, I'm a little weirded out by all this. Here I thought children were wild and crazy. No, they just were very, very weird.

"Can you play some toy soldiers with us?" a boy with glasses asks.

A girl came up to me. "No, he's totally playing house with us."

"He's going to catch cooties!"

"House!"

"Toy soldiers!"

"No one wants to play that! And he's my boyfriend!"

"Well, what is this guys?" the teacher finally shows up.

"Iruka sensei, Konohamaru is trying to hog my future boyfriend," the girl says. Iruka looks up at me and raises an eyebrow.

"Long story," I say.

"Well I see Shirley finally is playing with some kids, this your doing?" Iruka asks.

"She just needed a little push," I answer.

"You should come more often, we have a few other volunteers that also come," Iruka says.

"I don't know," I say, scratching the back of my head. "I feel like I scare kids." But one girl is pulling my hand and another boy is pulling my other hand. I see Shirley riding the slide with Konohamaru.

"He's mine, back off," the girl says.

Iruka looks at me. "I think you're great with kids."

XX

Tuesday at school.

I'm in my dreaded class with Sasuke. I try to ignore him. I can feel his gaze on me, trying to get my attention and it literally takes every fiber in my body not to look at his smiling face and smile back at him.

Because I just can't do that. When class is over, I quickly grab Sai out of the classroom and make a run for it.

"Nice shirt," Sai comments on me.

"What's wrong with what I wear?" I huff.

"Oh, nothing, the baggy jeans you always wear is all the rage in Milan," Sai grins at me.

"Shut up," I stick my tongue at him.

"It does kill me, you know," Sai begins. "That I can't dress you up. Oh! Which totally reminds me that since we want Naruto to see Hinata in a new light, for her not to wear clothes like a grandmother- like someone we know-" I punch his arm- "we're going shopping. Isn't that great?"

"Not really," I admit. Sai looks at me, then looks past me and smirks.

"Bye, bye," Sai cocked his head at me, "sweety pie." Sai walks a couple of steps away from us, talking to where Hinata was.

I turn around to see what Sai was looking at, and my eyes rake over Sasuke Uchiha.

"That scrawny guy you're always with?" Sasuke asks me, walking next to me. "Is he your boyfriend?"

"What if he is?" I say, looking at Sasuke innocently.

Sasuke looks at me seriously. "Then break up with him," he says bluntly. "So that you can go out with me."

"What if he doesn't like that?" I ask, and my heart is racing. He wants to go out with me? I mean he basically just implied it. Right? Why was I so happy?

"Then I'll deal with the rest," he says. Then pauses. "Is Sai going to do something to you?" he glances back looking like he's out for blood, and I panic. No need for Sai getting jumped. Sai is my best friend, and I did not need him to think he was going to get jumped in an alley anytime soon. There was no way that Sai could ever beat Sasuke up. I mean, I love Sai and all, but he couldn't even lift a finger on Sasuke.

"No, he's not," I answer. "Don't do anything to him."

Sasuke's eyebrows furrow. He looks like he's about to say something, but stops. Then after another second, "I was just going to say that this Friday, you owe me a date." Oh yeah, the date. How could I forget? "I was going to ask you sooner, but I had a lot of things on my hands, but now I'm free." Sasuke looks at me up bashfully.

"Okay," I say, thinking just how hot Sasuke could get looking- for Pete's sake- _shy_! Shy of asking me if it was okay to go out. But…

Wait.

I was totally and completely stupid. Just because he looked ridiculously hot being shy, I had to remember one very, very important detail. I can't even believe I almost forgot.

"Don't you already have a girlfriend?" I ask, and I want to slap him. "Isn't that a little double standard?"

Sasuke looks at me like he doesn't know what I'm talking about.

"Girlfriend?" Sasuke asks me.

"Oh, you know who I'm talking about," I say to him, turning around.

"Hey- wait, no! I don't have a girlfriend!" Sasuke assures me, coming next to me, his hand on my elbow. I look up at him.

"Does the name Karin ring any bells?" I remind him.

"Karin?" Sasuke's whole face darkens.

"The girls you're going out with currently?" I remind him. Does he seriously think-

"No," Sasuke's eyebrow furrows a little. "She- I'm not- we're not going out anymore. I broke up with her a while back." This made my heart speed up. So what Karin told me was a lie.

"Are you sure?" I ask a little lamely. What was this hope that I wanted? I sounded a little jealous too.

"Yes, my number one fan, I am hundred percent positive that I'm not dating anyone, and that I'm having a hot date this Friday," Sasuke answers me, giving me his lopsided smile. He just called me hot. Karin's words: _he's not interested in ugly girls like you_, ring through my head. Was she just lying to me? She lied about two things already. I couldn't trust her. She obviously had a huge problem and a huge thing for Sasuke.

"Don't tell me my number one is jealous," Sasuke tilts his head back a little, giving me a sideway glance.

"I'm not," I don't have anything to be jealous about. I mean of course gorgeous girls like Karin and Ino would want Sasuke.

"Good. Because there's nothing to be jealous about, I only have eyes for you," Sasuke tells me. And I find myself wanting to know more about his relationship with Karin. They obviously were close still if she entered his room. I did once, but that was strictly professional business.

"So this Friday," I manage to say, nodding. Friday. My dad usually had one of his usual gatherings of his friends at our house, and I know I won't be missed. "Sounds good."

"Yeah, I can't wait," Sasuke tells me.

OO

"Yo! Sasuke!" Kiba calls out to me after I just talked to Sakura about the date. I turn around. He looks at me, a little menacingly. "Was that Sakura you were just talking to?"

"Yeah," I say, wondering why he was even interested.

"What were you guys talking about?" his tone rubbed me the wrong way.

"What's it to you?" I ask him, almost challengingly. I know he has history with Sakura, but I'm not going to let it affect me at all. A small part of me wonders, about Sakura and Kiba's relationship. How can someone be that stupid to dump her?

"Stay away from her, and we won't have a problem," Kiba says. I almost laugh.

"Stay away from her?" I ask him, looking at him like he had to be kidding me. "I'm sorry, I'm going on a date with her."

"Listen here, Uchiha. Sakura is off limits. She's mine."

"Weren't you the stupid one that broke up with her?" I ask him, feeling my blood boil. What was Kiba trying to say? Did he dictate Sakura's love life? The realization hit me. "Lee- he had those bruises…you did that to him." I frown.

"That's because he went out with Sakura," Kiba says, shrugging as if what he did wasn't a little over the top. "Look, as your friend, I'm just saying don't go on a date with her. She doesn't date anyone. Not if I'm around." Kiba looks at me like I'm going to agree because I'm scared of him or something.

He had another thing coming.

"Sorry, buddy, but I'm going on a date with her," I assure him. He had at least five other people with him looking ready to pounce at me. He always had people with him because the Akatsuki always went in groups in case of anything happening, and I know that he doesn't care if he has to fight at school. Well he's in bad luck because I don't care either.

"You forget, I have the Akatsuki," Kiba says.

"You forget I'm not afraid of them or you," I tell him. We glare at each other a bit longer before Kiba and his posse leaves. Naruto jogs towards me.

"Teme! You just gave Kiba a run for his money- that doesn't happen often," Naruto tells me.

"He's nothing to be scared of," I say, but I'm still heated. Who does Kiba think he is to do that to Sakura? I want to go up there, and demand for an answer. But this was school. Not the right place for a confrontation or a fight, which I feel coming if I see Kiba again or if he says those things again.

XX

Friday after school, I'm eating some weird sushi that Sai bought for me; Sai was helping me pick out something to wear for my date.

"You're going to get sick," Sai says. "Stop eating so much. You never know, it might be bad sushi."

"Shut up," I tell him.

I was thinking of not even dressing up for our date. But I did. Sai picked out the perfect strapless, white laced dress with a braided belt at the waist and kind of went all girly on me.

"He's going to die," Sai sighs.

"Of how hideous I look?" I ask, looking at myself. I never wore dresses. Ever. Like, never ever. Ever. I always wore a baggy t-shirt and jeans, and mostly sweats. I didn't like dressing up nor did I think I had a reason to.

"You look fab-ulous," Sai squeals. I go downstairs as Sai makes his way to the balcony of mine.

"One of these days, you're going to fall," I tell him as he hops on the tree.

"Tell me how your perfect date goes! And- woah! Okay, one of these days, I am going to fall if you keep saying that!"

When I go downstairs, Kate runs into me.

"We're hosting a party," Kate says, looking at me. "Are you going to wear that?" she looks at my dress. "It doesn't really look good on you, sweety. Maybe you can try something of mine?"

"Thanks, but I like this," I say. Sai would be so, oh so offended. And actually, I don't think it looks too bad. I just wanted to pull Sai's leg saying it was ugly. But Sai _did_ know how to make me look great. Obviously, Kate's definition of beauty consisted of a boat load of makeup and revealing a lot of cleavage. Just an hour of this, then freedom. Oh wait, then it's Sasuke's date. I feel a little excited for it. But I needed to make Sasuke see how horrible I am and whiny I sometimes can be. Sai disagreed on me doing that, but I had to make Sasuke back off from me. Part of me didn't want that, but I knew it was for the best. But every day, the more I get to talk to him, I feel myself falling for him, and that's bad. Really bad.

"But- oh," Kate sighs, and then looks away. "And make sure you don't really talk much, okay? Make sure they're happy and refill their cups."

"Got it," I say. Like I'm some servant.

It was finally passed an hour after I served, and clean the dishes, pretending to be Cinderella, and I went to tell Kate that I was leaving. But she was laughing with some of her friends. "Yes, yes, whatever," she says to me, and I know she's barely paying attention. She went back to her friend's conversation. "I was thinking another room bigger for the baby…"

Okay then.

I went to find my dad. He was also talking to people. "Sakura, not now," he told me, glancing at his friends, and then completely ignoring me.

I hated it. Every time they had a party, one time every two weeks, they would ignore me. Then when I would leave, they wouldn't care. Once, I went to Sai's over night, came back, and they didn't even notice I was gone. Another time I went out, and they figured out when they needed me to do something, I was grounded even though I did ask for their permission and they did say yes.

I walked outside when I checked the time- seven o'clock so Sasuke wouldn't have to ring the doorbell. He was making his way to the door when he saw me.

The look he gave me, kind of left me breathless. It wasn't lust, but like I was kind of like a movie star or something. He seriously needed to stop having this affect on me. "I didn't know true beauty till you walked out that door," he tells me, stepping towards me. "Should I go inside to meet-"

"Nope," I grab his arm, hearing my heart pound. "No need, they're busy." He looks a little perplexed, but goes with me, thankfully. "And can you take a break from cheesyville?" But what he just said was just…hot. Really, really hot. In fact, I wouldn't mind if a guy told me that every day.

"I'm serious," he says, looking at me intently and I swallow. His gaze never wavered.

"Thanks. You look…rather nice too," I manage to say. It was that or he looked freakin' hot. He cleaned up really, really nicely. He was wearing a black polo shirt and jeans, but on him it looked like he wasn't even trying and he looked too hot.

"I know," he gives me a megawatt smile and then it's gone as he opens the car door for me. I roll my eyes, conceited jerk. Then notice that he had a regular, nice ordinary Toyota Camry car. Not his motorcycle, thank goodness.

"What happened to the motorcycle?" I ask him.

"You wanted to ride that?" Sasuke asks me, raising an eyebrow. "This is Itachi's ride, and so we traded off." For some reason, I can actually picture Sasuke's brother, the one I met at the basketball game, riding his motorcycle.

"So, where are going?" I ask him.

"That's a secret," Sasuke answers.

"You should know that I have a right to have a hint," I say.

"I think you'll like it," he says.

"You have no idea what I like," I retort.

"I know you like me," he says.

"Ha ha ha," I say. This guy.

Sasuke only grins at me.

Our first stop was at this really casual diner place, one that Sai always was talking to me about.

When we walk in, Sasuke says, a little enthusiastically, "They have the best burgers."

"I'm a vegetarian," I look at him when he seats me. So far, so not awkward. That's a very good thing, considering the fact that I'm actually really awkward.

"Really?" he asks. "So is my sister-in-law, well for a short amount of time." That guy I met in the game had a wife? Oh yeah, I remember. That was how I thought Itachi looked familiar. How I met Sasuke. His brother's wedding! Sometimes, I'm so stupid. I wouldn't mind seeing them again. And that thought is actually really weird.

"Fortunately, they have a wide variety of everything- even vegetarian options," he says. So much for that.

I look over at the stupid vegetarian options and want to punch myself in the face. I did _not _want to eat baked eggplant, which I ordered, and Sasuke ordered a burger with fried and a milkshake. I had water.

I really wanted to try the other options because what Sasuke had right now, a big juicy burger was looking so, so good. I swear it was calling out my name.

"Are you not hungry?" he asks me.

Time to play the part. "Well, I really don't like to eat in front of guys. I mean, can you imagine all the calories this has?"

Sasuke looks at the eggplant skeptically.

Truth was, I ate everything. Sai told me I ate like a pig, which may be true. I wasn't neat at eating and I could devour a burger. But Sasuke didn't need to know that. After this date, he was going to regret taking me out.

"I didn't take you for one of those girls," he says. "Ino did the same thing."

Wait. He went out with Ino?

Suddenly, I really didn't have an appetite. Why did that make me irritated? Of course Sasuke would have girls fling themselves in front of him. He probably had like a hundred different girlfriends. Let's not forget the beautiful Karin. And above all, Ino pig? Of course Ino. She was gorgeous, the typical blonde haired cheerleader that had every guy wrapped around her fingers. I want to say that I thought Sasuke was different. But he's a guy. So of course he would flirt with Ino at one point.

"…Are you okay?" he asks me, looking worried. There was a weird sensation in my stomach. Crap. It _was_ bad sushi. My stomach is churning, and feeling really weird all of a sudden.

"I-" I got up and ran to the bathroom. I threw up all over the sink. Great. Here I was unintentionally ruining our date. No, wait- that was a good thing.

I must have been out for a while because I heard a voice. "Sakura?" Sasuke was out the door, his voice laced with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine!" I called, wiping my mouth and looking at myself. I took a deep breath, looked through my purse and popped a mint. I walked out. Sasuke's worried face was making me feel a little warm inside.

"If you weren't feeling good, you should have told me," he says earnestly. "I'll take you home."

"No," I say. I did not want to go home right now. That was the last place I wanted to go.

He looks at me, looking confused. "Then my house."

OO

My house didn't compare to Sakura's at all. But at this moment, I couldn't worry about that. I was glancing at Sakura, making sure she wasn't going to puke again. I don't know why she didn't want to go back to her house, but if she didn't, then I wouldn't take her there. This wasn't even _half _the date I planned, but right now, my only concern was taking care of Sakura.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I ask her, probably for the hundredth time. I had to stop myself from looking at her all night. She looked just absolutely beautiful. Why was she hiding herself from all those frumpy clothes? Did she not know the beauty she had?

"Yeah, I just feel a little dizzy," she replies.

When we got to the driveway, she didn't look disgusted, and I wondered why I even cared what she thought of my house. I wanted to impress her, but my one story, two bedroom house wouldn't do the job.

I entered with her, and I was so glad my mom wasn't home. She would take this situation wrong. Completely wrong. Maybe go a little beserk until I calm her down because anyone knows she always hounded me and Itachi on being careful. My mom got pregnant with Itachi at 16, and she told us if we got a girl pregnant, she'd have our heads and put them in a platter. "Here, sit," I gestured at the couch. "I'll give you some ginger ale."

"Okay," she says, sitting down. I walk into the kitchen thinking, Sakura is in my house. Because she was sick.

I poured a glass of ginger ale, something my mom always had in storage for in case of things like these. When I went to see her, she wasn't there.

"Sakura?" I called, wondering where she could have gone. Then I see a flash of pink in front of my bedroom door.

"Wow, I got to say, I thought your room would be a pigsty," she tells me, getting the glass and waltzing in my room. "It's…neat. I didn't know you had it in you. I couldn't really get a chance to fully look at your room when I came that one time."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me," I tell her, and our eyes meet. Her vibrant, beautiful green eyes were staring into me, innocently and it was all I could do to not stare at them all day. Or to kiss her right then and there. My eyes travel down to her lips and then back to her eyes.

"So it seems," she murmurs, looking away and quickly sits on my bed. I close my eye for a brief millisecond. This meant that she trusted me not to do anything to her. That she thought I wouldn't do anything to her, even though she's tempting me by sitting on my bed. I could easily do something, but this trust thing? Karin never trusted me. She even told me that she had to gain my trust. And I didn't even trust Karin either.

I wondered how I even got her to come on a date with me. Thinking back to Kiba, I feel myself getting angry again. Like he had some control over Sakura. That pissed me off to no end. I wanted to punch something, preferably his face, when he said that Sakura was his. And I know Sakura is totally unaware what her loser ex-boyfriend was doing. _"She still likes me." _

Sakura snorts, bringing me back to reality, "No pictures of bikini clad women…"

"What kind of person do you take me for?" I ask her, sitting next to her on my bed. She smiles, and that's what I also notice her not doing much, smiling. But she can light up this entire room.

"A person who gives bad boy a whole new meaning," she tells me. I couldn't help but laugh. "But…" she looks at me. "I think I trust you."

XX

I was with Sasuke. Next to his bed. For some bizarre reason, I trusted Sasuke not to do anything funny. He truly, sincerely seemed to care for my health. And he didn't even look pissed off that I ruined the long awaited date. He was a really patient person, unlike me. Totally unlike me. And I needed that. Someone who could be patient with me. Okay, was I just thinking about how Sasuke is a potential…oh I don't even want to go there. But right now, my heart is pounding really loud. And it didn't hurt that his laugh and smile is contagious and hot. How can a laugh be hot? Only on Sasuke Uchiha.

"You trust me," Sasuke states, his hand is grazing mine and it feels like there is electricity running through my hand. I bite my lip.

"Yeah, I do," I tell him. "I don't know why, but I trust you." Our eyes lock and we don't say anything. To break the silence and whatever we were about to do, I have to say something that had been on my mind since we got to his house. "Sasuke…" I look at him, half smiling. "Sorry I ruined our date." And I truly was.

Sasuke just shakes his head. "This isn't so bad, and do you know why?" Sasuke asks me.

"Why?" I ask, curious.

"Because I'm with you."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

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	13. Chapter 13

OO

"Sasuke," my mother looks at me. She just figured out this Monday morning about my date because Lisa was here and she was talking about it.

"We didn't do anything!" I say. "She was sick, and she didn't want to go home." What could be wrong with Sakura's perfect home life?

"So…" my mom looks at Lisa.

"Are you guys…" Lisa gives me a knowing look.

"No," I answer them both.

"What?" Lisa asks. "Why?"

"It's…complicated," I reply. "But it's going to happen."

"You get that cockiness from Itachi," Lisa laughs. My mom laughs too.

"Their father was just like that too. These Uchiha men," my mother says, and I look away, thinking about my father. A wave of sadness crashes into me. I wanted to forget what happened a few years ago to him. But I would be stupid to think it wouldn't haunt me. Because what happened to him always haunted me.

"So tell me the daycare was good to you," Lisa says.

"Ah, actually, Iruka- the guy that runs it- he wants me to come again," I say. "He called yesterday saying all the kids wanted me to come there." My mom and Lisa exchange a look.

"Well?" my mom says.

"Well what?" I ask.

"Are you going again?" Lisa asks.

"You should," my mom suggests.

"Yeah, I don't know," I shrug, drinking the last sip of milk I had for breakfast. "I spent three hours just trying to make all of them satisfied. The boys want to play this weird game where I'm a dinosaur, and then the girls want me to be their horse."

Both Mom and Lisa crack up.

"That was not funny," I tell them, remembering that they all wanted to ride on my back and I was thinking that I was definitely was going to have a back problem. I looked at the clock, checking the time. "Shoot, gotta go to school." I run to the front door, putting on my shoes.

"Love you!" Mom calls as I run to me motorcycle.

XX

"How was the date?" Sai asks as we both get out of the car. The whole weekend I couldn't talk to him about my date on Friday because he had to do something with his mother and he was out of town, which left me obsessing over the date all weekend. Except I wasn't going to tell Sai that.

"Bad sushi," I say. "So I went to his house."

"Wha- shut up!" Sai exclaims. "Details, woman, I need details." I laugh.

"He took me to his house, I went to his room, and we just hung out there. I thought it was going to be so awkward given that-"

"You're a really awkward person?" Sai interjects.

"Yes, and actually it wasn't so awkward. Then he tells me I owe him another date," I say.

"No way!" Sai practically yells. "Get out."

"I told him no, of course," I finish.

"Why did you do that?" Sai wants to know.

"Why would I even want to date him, Sai?" I ask.

"Sakura," Sai sighs. "I know you thought that you loved Kiba- well if you can even call it love really, but given that he's a jerk, all Sasuke ever does to you is be sweet. I never liked Kiba or the way he treated you, and I can tell you this much, Sasuke treated you better in like one single day than Kiba did in one and a half years."

"Maybe I'm just not ready to date," I say. We walk into the school building.

"Did you like being with Sasuke?" Sai asks. "Don't lie. Because I know when you lie."

"Okay, it was decent," I admit. I hated the fact that Sasuke was so patient with me. I myself am not a patient person. At all. But with Sasuke, he never got mad at anything I did. Just what exactly ticked off this guy?

"Were you actually trying to enjoy yourself?" Sai asks.

"No I wasn't but-"

"There we have it, ladies and gentleman. Give Sasuke a chance," Sai says. "That way, you can forget about that butt Kiba and move on."

He made it sound so easy.

"At least did you guys kiss?" Sai asks me. "Or is he not the guy that kisses on a first date?"

"No, we did not," I say. "Sorry."

"Ah, young romance. Such a nice things these days," Sai literally sighs when he says this.

"What about you?" I change the subject.

"Nothing about me," Sai says looking at me like he didn't have a clue what I was saying, but I know that he knows that I know there might be some guy in his life.

"Right," I say.

"I have to go," Sai points to the computer lab. "Print out an essay. See you later, my love." Sai quickly goes away, knowing full well he was going to tell me what was up with him.

I turn around and am greeted by a pair of onyx eyes. I have been dreading and have been so excited to see him at school that it was really ridiculous.

"Hey there number one," Sasuke says, walking alongside me and we stop at a vending machine because I think I totally deserve some chocolate for a Monday.

"What do you think about Hinata and Naruto?" I ask. I was hoping to get information on this because Sasuke was Naruto's friend. I think. And all the help I could get not talking on whatever happened on Friday would be wonderful. I didn't need to talk about Friday. Because something in Sasuke's acquaintance relationship with me shifted.

"Oh, Hinata," Sasuke nods. "Yeah, I know she likes Naruto."

"How did you know?" I ask.

"Well…you just told me and it's kind of obvious," Sasuke says. "Naruto likes her too."

"He does?" I ask.

"Yep but he thinks that she doesn't like him. Because every time they're together she runs away or faints," Sasuke says. "And I am pretty sure those are the signs of disgust."

"That's because she's shy!" I say. "It's not her fault. I think they would make a really cute couple."

"Do you know who'd I make a cute couple with?" Sasuke asks me, looking at me knowingly.

"Ino?" I suggest cheekily.

"Sasuke!" someone shouts. Speak of the devil. "Hey, Sasuke! I was totally like wondering why you didn't come to the party on Friday. You did get a personal invite from me."

"Friday?" Sasuke looks at me then looks back at Ino. "Sorry, but I had a hot date." I close my eyes for a brief second.

"Hot date?" Ino laughs. "Are you talking about me?" Of course she would think this.

"Nah I'm talking about-"

"Okay, I have to go, really nice seeing you again Ino," I yank Sasuke's hand. "_We _have to go- uh, study. Yes, study. You know our GPA's can't be struggling because of Sasuke's jockiness. He doesn't want to be stereotyped that jocks are just stupid people!" I turn around, walking away from Ino until she's out of sight.

"What do you think you're doing?" I ask him.

"Me?" Sasuke looks slightly amused. There's that impish grin he's giving me.

"Let's have this date on the down low. I don't want anyone thinking we're anything," I say.

"You don't want anyone to figure out we had a date?" he asks.

"No," I say. "Remember? This was between me and you- not the whole school."

Sasuke seems to be having a hard time. "But I'm not the one embarrassed to go out with you."

"I'm not embarrassed!" I argue.

"You're not?" he asks me.

"Of course not," I hear myself say. Whoops. This only encourages him. His grin widens. "I mean as I said before, I don't want people talking is all. We just went out on a date which means nothing."

"If I was your boyfriend, I would want to whole world to know," Sasuke tells me. My heart flutters. When I was dating Kiba, he was the one that really didn't want people to know about us. He never really told anyone we were dating, they had to figure out from me or from just looking at us.

And just for that millisecond, I wondered how it would be if me and Sasuke did date.

I clear my throat, clearing away all the thoughts I had on Sasuke Uchiha.

OO

"So…How are you feeling?" I ask her.

"Better, thanks," she tells me, looking away from me. I'm wondering why she didn't want to go to her house. And when I picked her up, she was in a rush to go. I didn't want to not meet her parents; I wanted her to see I am willing to respect her in every way. "And I'm sorry for ruining your chances of your first and last date with me."

Game on, Haruno.

"No, you see," I leaned in her, smelling her vaguely sweet scent. "I was thinking that you owe me a date."

"W-what!" she almost yells, and I lean back to meet her green eyes.

"You heard me," I say, smirking.

"Okay, no, our little bet was that I would go on a date with you," she says, pointing her finger at me like she's scolding me. "And you took my favorite ribbon away from me too."

"Did we not establish that your ribbon is a good luck charm? It was an added bonus to getting a date with you," I say. "But I didn't do all the things I was planning on to do."

She blinks up at me, and I can tell by her expression she didn't know that I had other things planned for the evening. She opens her mouth to say something, and then closes it. "You should take Ino instead. I think she may be more interested in me," she says instead.

"But I'm more interested in you," I tell her honestly. She looks at me like she doesn't believe me. I want to make her believe me. Ino had nothing on Sakura.

The bell rang, and Sakura gives me half a smile before leaving.

XX

I groan as I look in the mirror in the bathroom. Why did Sasuke Uchiha have to go and do stuff like…take care of me? When I told him I was sick, he wasn't even slightly annoyed. He was so patient with me and he didn't look pissed or angry or mad. And he had other things he was planning. I hated myself for even being interested in what he had planned. Even though he had other things to do, he still let me do whatever I wanted.

When I was dating Kiba, if I was the late one he'd be pissed off and just cancel the date altogether.

Why was I even comparing Kiba to Sasuke?

Then…oh _then_ Sasuke has to go say stuff like he's more interested in me than Ino. Even Kiba said he'd totally date Ino if he had the chance.

I groan again.

When I walk out and go to my locker, Sai, Hinata and Ten-Ten all come around me.

"If Hinata likes him she should tell her feelings," Ten-Ten tells us.

"Yeah, I know," I agree with Ten-Ten, who usually hangs out with Sai because of her impeccable fashion she had.

"Guys," Sai holds up his hands. "I think we are all missing the bigger picture here."

"What's that?" Hinata asked.

"Sakura has been hiding Skittles from us," Sai grabs the whole bag out of my locker and gets a handful of the fruity goodness and plops them all into his mouth.

He ate the whole bag.

"You pig!" I swat him, and he runs away.

"All I saw at the party was Sasuke holding this guy by the shirt," Ten-Ten tells all of us. So he went to a party on Saturday. I was supposed to be the one keeping a watch out for him. Sasuke didn't seem like the violent type. But I guess if he needed to be, he was going to be.

When Kakashi's class came, I turn to Sasuke. "What can I do to make you stop fighting?" I ask.

"You and my brother should make a club," Sasuke says, looking over at me, then he smiles. "What you can to make me stop fighting?"

"Yeah," I say.

"Go out with me," he cracks a grin.

As. If. "Yeah, not happening," I say. "What else?"

Sasuke shrugs. "Nothing else, that's the only way." Is he serious?

"I went out on a date with you," I remind him.

"Yeah, but you're not my girlfriend," He looks over smirking, adding, "…yet," he had the audacity to say yet. That will never, ever in a million years happen.

"Nor will I ever be," I assure him.

"You sure know how to bruise my ego," Sasuke is still smiling though.

Later that day, I report to the principal. She always wanted to know what was going on with me and Sasuke. In fact, I think she secretly liked her little project on Sasuke and hearing about us.

"THEN GO OUT WITH SASUKE UCHIHA. EVERY GIRL IN THIS SCHOOL WANTS TO SO WHY WON'T YOU?" she yells at me.

"Because I don't like him," I say. Or I think I don't. But I know the real reason, and Sai knows the real reason: I don't want to get hurt again by a guy.

"Sakura," the principal is rubbing her temples. "Look. If he says that he wants to go out with you and he won't fight, you should try to at least give the guy the chance."

OO

Ever since I played on that soccer team once, they asked me to join again for another game.

"You're good at soccer," Naruto tells me. I look over to where the wimpy guy that always hung out with Sakura laughing with another person.

"Naruto…do you know anything about Sakura and…" I gesture to the guy.

"Sai?" Naruto starts laughing.

"What's so funny?" I ask.

"Sai's not interested in females," Naruto answers. I look over at him.

He was gay.

Sai was flippin' gay. How could I have not sooner figured it out? I mean if you could just look on how he dresses…I seriously can just bang my head against the wall.

He was gay.

Sai jogs over to me. "Hey Sasuke you want to join us for pizza?" I see some guy smack Sai's butt. If that guy so much as comes within a feet from me, someone's going to get knocked out.

He was gay.

I didn't have to worry about anything. He posed no threat, and I wouldn't have those urges to just beat him up because he's with Sakura all the time.

Speaking of Sakura, she was standing over there, watching the team practice.

I go up to Sakura and I smirk. "Sai's gay," I tell her and she just crinkles up her nose and smiles. Her beautiful emerald green eyes looking at me, like the jokes on me. It probably was.

"Doesn't take a genius to figure that out," Sakura tells me, winking.

"Nice one," I say to her. Although I'm not sure why she even made me think that. Or maybe I just made myself think it. And I'm so happy. There was no need for me to beat up Sai anymore. He was nothing. He wasn't going to get in my way. There was no threat.

"Not really," Sakura is still lingering there, and I'm in no hurry if that means talking to this feisty pink haired girl. "Do you still want to be him up? Because I have his back, you now."

"You? Fighting?" I look over her baggy T-shirt and raise an eyebrow.

"Don't make me wrestle you in front of the whole school and embarrass you," Sakura says, and me and her are both smiling. She has such a great smile, that reaches up to her eyes, and her nose even crinkles a little when she does. I think to myself right then and there that I want to keep making her smile.

"Uchiha!" Kiba calls me. I remember just a second ago, thinking there was no threat.

Of course. Kiba.

"Hurry up! It's…" he looks over at Sakura. "Important, you know, business." Kiba walks towards the car, but I don't want to go yet. I don't know if he knows yet that I did go out with Sakura.

"My cue to leave," Sakura says, turning. But I grab her hand first. She turns over to me, surprised.

I'm not even sure why I did that. "See you tomorrow, number one fan," I tell her instead of what I was thinking of wanting to tell her.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Fluff of a chapter, but this was for things to come.  
Reviews= me happy= update faster= you happy**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Sorry for the delay guys! It's been crazy for me. Still is.**_

XX

I stare at the sidewalk of school, wondering. About so much things.

"Hey!" this girl with pretty big brown eyes and long brown hair came up to me. "I'm TenTen…Sakura, right?"

"Yeah," I say, "I remember you." I think I met her somewhere. I'm sure I did.

"Same here," she looks at my hair pointedly. Of course. "I just…" I follow TenTen's gaze, which was at this one really broodish guy, Neji. I had to admit, he was hot.

"Neji?" I ask, coming to a realization. "Do you like him?"

"Yes- but you can't tell anyone!" TenTen says.

"Of course not-" I bump into someone. Ino.

"Watch where you're going," she tells me, but looks at me like she knows something I don't. I do not like the expression at all.

When Ino leaves, TenTen comes next to me. "She sure woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning," TenTen snorts.

"Couldn't agree more."

OO

I had to go to school early today because basketball practice was starting in the morning today. Gai, the PE teacher looks at me and comes to me.

"About Lee," Gai looks at me. "Sasuke, you look like a gangbanger, but I know you're not."

"Thanks," I think.

"So let me get to the point, Sasuke," Gai drags out my name. "You know Lee had a black eye a few days back. And let me tell you, he doesn't tell me where he got it."

I have no idea where this was going.

"He's one of my favorite pupils," Gai says. "And I would hate to see him hurt, just as I would hate to see you hurt. I am hoping you can keep an eye on Lee."

"Keep an eye on him?" more like punch him in the face.

"Mhmm," Gai nods, looking at me intensely. "Be his friend, a buddy, a pal, the brother he never had."

"Why?"

Gai is still looking at me. "Because I feel like he would be a good influence on you."

"I thought you said I didn't look like a gangbanger."

"You don't, and I don't think you are," he says. "But you seem to be with the wrong crowd. People who actually are gangbangers."

Kakashi walks past us looks at me, and waves. "Oh, Sasuke, hi."

"Hi to you too, Kaakaashi," Gai says. "I was talking to Sasuke about things in life."

"Hopefully he didn't bore you, he has a tendency to do that," Kakashi says.

"No," I shrug, looking at the time. "I'm just late for morning basketball practice."

"Remember what I said!" Gai calls out to me. "Don't be under the influence!"

XX

Kakashi's class was really something else. Especially now that Sasuke was here.

"Remember guys- no doing anything else," Kakashi says. "Read what you're assigned." I sneakily get out my mom's journal- which I also used for something- and read the last thing I wrote on it. My heart sped up when I thought about it, and I stole a glance at Sasuke, who was intent on reading. I bit my lip and looked back at it.

"Sakura, I'll be having that now," Kakashi says, right next to me, holding out his hand. Oh no. My journal! If Kakashi even reads it, I'd be toast. And totally embarrassed. I swallow as I slowly give it to him, slumping in my chair. "I'll give it back when I think is necessary."

He walks in front of the room, and I sink into my seat, putting my book in front of my face so no one can see me turning red as a tomato.

After school, I sneak into Kakashi's room. I know he usually isn't there after school, so I have to take my chance.

I walk into Kakashi's room and head straight for his desk.

"What are you looking for?" a voice asks me. I freeze. Sasuke was by the door, with his arms crossed, looking at me peculiarly.

"Uh…" I couldn't tell him I was going to steal back what was mine. "I lost my contact."

"Here, let me help you," he offers, kneeling down and looking my nonexistent contact lens.

Great.

So Sasuke and I are both searching mindlessly. For something that will never ever be found. I glance over at Sasuke who has his eyebrows furrowed up, looking for the floor. He's never going to find it.

"Hey what's this?" Sasuke picks something from the floor, but it's a green marble.

Should I tell him?

"Uh Sasuke, I have to confess something," I say.

"Yeah?"

"I don't wear contacts," I admit.

"I know," Sasuke grins at me, winking.

"T-then what are you doing here?" I ask him.

"Helping you look for whatever you're looking for," he answers. I look at Kakashi's desk.

"I'm looking for my journal, actually, and I think it's in Kakashi's desk," I say.

"Then let's look," Sasuke makes his way to look through the stuff. I open his desk drawer and find a weird looking book with a man chasing a woman.

"He seriously reads that?" I ask, frowning.

"You mean he doesn't read that in class?" Sasuke laughs.

"He reads another," I say, finding myself about to laugh with him. Then I find my purple and gray journal. "Found it." I take it, and put it in my arms.

"Okay let's go," Sasuke says and we both get up.

"Well what do we have here?" we hear a voice. Both of tense up.

"K-Kakashi," I stammer. Shoot. I actually like him because he was a pretty cool teacher. I didn't want him to not like me.

"I can explain," Sasuke steps up. "We were here to ask you a question but you were never here so we waited for you."

"Looking through my desk?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Oh we were so busted.

"Actually, I was interested in knowing the author of _Icha Icha Paradise_ and Sakura helped me," Sasuke lies nonchalantly.

"Oh! Wow you're a fan too?" Kakashi's whole demeanor changes. I look at Sasuke, who just winks at me, smirking.

"My brother mostly," Sasuke says, saving face.

"A really great writer named Jiraya writes these pieces of art," Kakashi says. "I highly recommend you to read all of them."

"Great, thanks, we'll be sure to take note of that," Sasuke says, placing his hand on my back and ushering me to leave. "Thanks, Kakashi, see you tomorrow!"

"Anytime you guys!" Kakashi hollers.

"Thanks," I tell Sasuke.

"Yeah, it's nothing really."

"No, really, you read those?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Wha- no way," Sasuke shakes his head. "I wouldn't be caught dead reading that. My brother is a fan though." I stop at my locker. Then look at where his chin is scratched, and look at his bruise on his hand. He told me he'd stop fighting if we went out. That couldn't happen. Sai tells me because I'm scared. So, yeah, I am. But so what? "Can you stop fighting?"

OO

She wanted me to stop fighting? I look over at her, something aches inside me. She did tell me she didn't want me to fight and I really was happy. When I was with Karin…Gosh, I fought almost all the time because of the guys she hooked up with. This fight was at another party, for another reason. One member of the Akatsuki, friend of Kiba's, started it, and I finished it.

"Why?" I ask, almost in a whisper.

She turns to me, her slender fingers gently on my bruised chin. "Because I can't have my student looking like this. And I… I hate to see you look so messed up. I hate to see you fighting, Sasuke. Thank God I never had to even watch you fight."

Yeah, thank God she never did. I'm pretty sure she'd be afraid of me and never speak to me again.

"My offer still stands," I tell her. Then I see her turn bright red and I can't help but think she looks way too cute for her own good to be blushing like that. Did she even consider about going out with me?

"Ha," she tells me. "You're funny." My dark eyes are met with her beautiful green ones that I swear sparkle.

"I'm serious," I say honestly.

"A-anyways," she's stuttering and I can tell she's nervous. _I'm_ causing her to be nervous. And it's not because she's scared of me. "See you tomorrow."

XX

"I need your help," Hinata tells me after school the next day. I look over at Hinata, curious. Hinata didn't need help in anything. I mean, come on. She was gorgeous, smart, okay, so maybe shy- only a lot- but still. She had things going for her. Not to mention that hot cousin.

Sai looks at me. "Of course, we'd be happy to help you with anything."

"Sakura, can I a-ask you a favor?" Hinata looks over at me.

"Sure," I say. Hinata wasn't the one who usually asked for favors, but I was happy to help her.

"Can you come with me to the beach with Naruto? I- I don't want it to be awkward or anything," Hinata says.

"Uh…"

"She'd love to go," Sai says. "She'll meet you there."

After Hinata leaves, I shoot Sai a glare.

"What? Stop looking at me like that. A lady should always be proper," Sai scolds me.

"Oh shut up," I scoff.

"You can spy on them! In fact video tape them if you have to!" Sai exclaims, clapping. "It's going to be fun!"

Turns out, Naruto wasn't the only one who bought along a friend.

"Fancy meeting you here," Sasuke greets me. I'm about to turn back, but I see Hinata talking to Naruto. I couldn't ruin it for her. Sasuke sees what I'm looking at. "Don't you wonder why sometimes people just won't go out with one another?"

Does this mean that I have to stay with him the whole time?

Great. Wonderful. Fantastic.

We both figure out soon that Hinata and Naruto need time alone. What is this? Why am I stuck with Sasuke? WHY?

We walk past along a little shop, and I turn to see Sasuke gone. Then another minute, he's in front of me. He is holding something in his hand.

"What…is that?" I ask cautiously.

He opens his hands, and there's a shell bracelet. "For my number one fan."

This touched me. "Thanks," I say, taking it, and putting it around my wrist.

"Great, we have matching bracelets," Sasuke holds up his other hand, revealing the same bracelet.

Is it too late to take it off?

"So what are your likes?" I ask him as we walk along the beach to break the awkward silence. I'm not good in situations like these. Did Hinata know this? That Sasuke was coming? Is that why she invited me? It is always the innocent ones. Seriously. What is Hinata thinking? Did that scheming woman do this on purpose? I hope she knows that I don't want to be with Sasuke. On this weird thing. It's not a date. Me and him are like the third wheel plus one…whatever that is.

"Girls with pink hair," he easily answers.

"Don't you think it's kind of odd?"

"Well there's this one particular girl I know, and she looks beautiful," Sasuke says, looking at me. There he said it again. Saying stuff like that will make me go mushy. But I'm not going to let him break my wall I built.

"Favorite food?"

"Enchiladas," Sasuke answers. Well that was new.

"Drink?"

"Water."

"Lame," I immediately say.

"No it's not," Sasuke looks at me, "it is essential to life."

"Okay, Sasuke, so we're going to play the truth game," I tell him, thinking of something.

"Do I get to ask questions?" he instantly asks me.

"No," I say right off the bat, seeing if he wasn't going to play. His gaze never wavers as he just shrugs.

"Very well," Sasuke nods at me.

"Do you think Ino is hot?" I ask him. His eyebrows shoot up. "Remember, truth."

"Why are you asking-"

"Remember? I'm the one asking, you're answering," I say. This was stupid. I shouldn't even be doing this. Sasuke runs a hand through his spiky hair, and I find myself wanting to touch it too. _Need to concentrate, Sakura. Remember why you are here._

"Yes, she is," he answers and my whole body tenses. Of course. What more did I expect, exactly? "But that's it," he finishes. "But since we're asking about my opinion, I believe there is this one girl much, much hotter than Ino. But that's just me." His eyes are burning through me. Some people can give away themselves if you look at them in the eyes. But Sasuke's eyes never faltered. He thinks I'm hotter than Ino? No, wait. He may tell that to every girl. But the way Sasuke is looking at me...

"What do you look into for a girl?" I ask him.

He doesn't answer right away. "I…" he sighs and looks away, looking at the window. "I had a pretty messed up relationship in the past." Now, I'm really curious. This was definitely about Karin. But what could have been messed up? They looked like a great couple.

"Interesting," I tell him.

"Why are you telling me this anyways?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. "You want to go out with me or something?" He cracks his contagious grin.

"Uh…I just thought it would be better to get to know you," I say, gulping.

"That's not fair," Sasuke tells me. "I want to get to know you too."

"You can ask tomorrow," I shrug.

I see a crowd of people where we were headed- Naruto, Hinata, Choji, Neji and TenTen. Hinata comes to me, and waves. Ino is also there with her entourage of cheerleaders, with a smug expression her face. She steps in front of me.

"Sakura, is it possible," Ino looks at the crowd ,"…you like Neji?" Ino asks. In front of everyone. Meaning Neji. And TenTen. And most importantly, Sasuke.

Where's a dark hole when you need one?

"No!" I say, almost too loudly, looking at TenTen's face that was filled with hurt. "I don't- I like-" I instantly stop myself. Oh. My. Gosh. I was just about to say who I liked. What I wrote in my journal the other night. Because it was true, and I haven't even told Sai it yet. I want to deny it all, but the more I denied it, the more it became inevitable about my stupid, stupid feelings.

I liked Sasuke. A lot.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Thank you everyone that review. You remind me that there are readers who actually like my story. And if you haven't reviewed yet, what are doing? **


	15. Chapter 15

I always have a knack for embarrassing myself. Really, I do. When I was, oh so stupidly about to tell everyone who I liked I stopped and thankfully some guy with a Frisbee hit Naruto's head, and Naruto fell on the ground.

Right now, Hinata and Neji helped Naruto get to some bench to see if he's okay.

Then the guy who threw the Frisbee was Suigetsu, Sasuke's best friend, "Aw man I was aiming for Sasuke!" he told us when we figured out it was him. Suigetsu, thankfully made Sasuke preoccupied, forgetting about what I was about to say. Because my treacherous eyes glanced at Sasuke when I was about to tell them who I liked. And I did not miss the look that came on Sasuke's face when Ino told everyone I liked Neji. And the darker looks when I told them no and was about to say who I liked.

That left me alone with TenTen, who looked really hurt. Where was Ino? I hope she was in a hole somewhere, her natural habitat, I assure you.

"TenTen," I began again. "Seriously, I can see that Neji likes you. I don't like him, honest." I mean if you were into the whole…serious and strict type.

"Are you sure?" TenTen asks.

"Yes," I reply. TenTen breaks out into this grin.

"You like Sasuke, huh?" TenTen looks at Sasuke's shell bracelet then at mine, then pats me on the shoulder and goes to where Naruto and Hinata are.

"N-no," I say lamely, lying to myself and to her, but she was already gone.

I watched as everyone were doing their own thing, and took a deep breath. I think everything went good with Hinata and Naruto. Except for Naruto's head. I look at the bracelet and smile inwardly, not being able to help myself but to look at where Sasuke was, who was laughing with Suigetsu.

I call Sai to meet him up for some ice cream. I totally deserve this ice cream after this weird day I've been having. Besides, it's not like any of them are going to miss me.

When Sai and I are sitting inside the ice cream store, I explain to him what happened. And who I liked, which he knew.

"I think you should be happy, Sakura," Sai tells me gently. "When you were with Kiba, you guys fought more than you laughed. With Sasuke, I can see that you're just...yourself and it seems that you actually enjoy being around with him." I swallow, not knowing if I was able to withstand the truth. When I think about it, Sai is right about me and Kiba. We didn't have the best relationship. I wasn't constantly happy all the time, I was usually stressed out. Weren't relationships supposed to make you happy all the time? I do like Sasuke, but I know I'm running away. I'm going to run away because I'm scared in getting into another messed up relationship. Scared that Sasuke was going to reel me in deep, and then break my heart. That was one thing I couldn't afford.

"I don't even know if Sasuke likes me," I say.

"Uh, betting so he could take you out on a date? I think he likes you," Sai says. "Let us not forget those looks he gives you. Especially in Kakashi's class. I see the looks you guys give each other."

"I'm not even ready to go in a relationship right now. If I become attached, I don't want to get hurt again."

"You'll have to take risks," Sai tells me.

The best way to not get hurt is not even talking to Sasuke.

Easy, right?

OO

Iruka called yesterday for me to come back to the daycare. He told me that the kids missed me. I found it funny when I was talking to him that I kind of missed them too. They were some funny kids. I did visit them one more time after my first visit and spent almost five hours with Konohamaru, Shirley and all the other children. Since they couldn't decide if they wanted to play Horse or kick a tree*, I had to decide for them- fairly, which game to play, so I had to tell them to pick a number. The winner, this one guy names Udon- Konohamaru's good friend wanted to play duck duck goose. The children all forced me to play and they almost always picked me for being the goose when I wasn't the one who was picking. Little kids can run really fast. This one kid even ran out of the circle and jumped in the sandbox. As a matter of fact, I don't think we even played it right. But they seemed to have fun, and at least they all played together. When it was for my leaving time, Shirley begged me to stay and play mister teapot, but I had to go practice for basketball and told her next time I come. She got happy and hugged me.

"Sasuke!" Konohamaru yells as I enter the playground. I watch helplessly as a swarm of kids come running to me, tackling me to the ground.

"My boyfriend came back for me!" one girl exclaims. They were like what, five?

"Hey guys," I tell them weakly as I'm lying on the grass.

"Play with us!" Konohamaru pleads, holding my hand.

"I will," I tell them as I look around, looking for Shirley. I get up and look around, wondering if they shunned her again. "Konohamaru, why aren't you playing with Shirley?"

"Shirley…she's not here today," Konohamaru shrugs. I feel bad because I told her I was going to play her favorite game with her. "But she was here yesterday and we played on the swings. She taught me how to tie my shoes too!" Konohamaru kicks his leg up, and points, almost falling in the process.

"That's great," I smile at him.

"Come on, Master," Udon- a kid with glasses and snot coming out of his nose is looking up at me. "We have to show you what we did."

"Udon- not now!" Konohamaru says. "Moegi, tell him he ruined the surprise."

"What surprise?" I ask. I didn't like being surprised. Especially by children. There is no telling what's going on behind those devious eyes of theirs.

"I guess we have to tell my boyfriend," a girl sighs.

"Come on!" Konohamaru tugs on my hand as does the rest of the kids into the classroom. Konohamaru enters and pulls out a poster. "This is for you." He hands me the poster, and I analyze it, having a huge smile on my face.

On the poster it read: Tank you Master four cuming to see us. We luv you.

On the bottom, it had all the names of the kids there, with Konohamaru's being the biggest, and I saw Shirley's name there too. I look on the middle on the poster, which has a portrait of me. I think. It was a stick figure of me with overly sized muscles. And did I really have chicken hair?

"So…do you like it?" a girl asks me.

"I love it," I answer them, and all of them whoop, cheer, holler and hug me, again knocking me into the ground. Hey- in my defense, there were more than twenty kids.

XX

In the morning of school when Sai isn't there, I get to hang out with people. Weird people. But I get a text from Sai: **Remember. Carnival tonight! Be happy :- )**

Yes, he was those annoying people that put a nose in the smiley face.

"Hello, Sakura," Shino, a guy who wear glasses all the time, comes next to me to my locker. Then, he goes on a rant about bugs and how we high school students don't respect them enough. Or something. See, I wouldn't ever tell Shino that I hate cockroaches, spiders, and well, actually all kinds of insects because he just might try to convince me bugs are important. Sorry, but I will never see the importance of a cockroach. "I hope we can be more than friends," Shino says to me, surprising me. Shoot, where did that come from?

What surprises me even more was that Sasuke comes to us. "Mind if I join you?" he asks, though looking- no more like glaring- at Shino. Shino looks a little weirded out, and glances at Sasuke.

"Uh, Sakura- you know I think I have to go, it's late, and I will see you tomorrow," says Shino, leaving in a hurry much to my disappointment. I frown, watching him leave, and turn to Sasuke.

"What was that?" I ask accusingly. Sasuke only blinks. So much for not talking to him.

"What was what?" he asks innocently.

"You looked like you wanted to beat up Shino!" I reply.

"I asked if I could join you, and yet you still haven't answered my question," Sasuke says, crossing his arms, and looking at me.

"No. The answer is no. N-o. No way jose!" I answer. "Why would you even want to hang out with me anyways?"

"You seemed bored with him," Sasuke says, I turn to him and open my mouth to say something, but the truth was, he, as much as I hate to admit, was right. A little. A tiny spec. Sasuke slightly raised an eyebrow and I hated that he looked irritatingly _hot_ doing so.

"Like you can be any more fun," I shoot back, rolling my eyes. Juvenile I know, but sometimes he just really acted to arrogant and...okay, yeah it was hot.

"Oh? Is that a challenge?" Sasuke asks, propping himself to be right in front of me. His eyes pierces right through me and I shiver- in a good way. Why oh _why_ did Sasuke have this effect on me?

"Or you can just walk away and pretend we don't know each other," I suggest. "Works either way."

"So…lucky guy," Sasuke says, ignoring me.

"Who?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

"The guy you like," Sasuke answers, nodding and someone walking past us and takes a step away from me. "See you later, number one." He saunters off and I want to scream that, "HEY IT'S YOU, YOU IDIOT!" but that would be disrupting the whole entire school.

The bell rang for first period.

OO

After school, I'm at the hospital after I went to the daycare again and found out Shirley wasn't there _again_. After I spent time with the children, Iruka told me that Shirley was at the hospital, and I didn't even think- I had to go see her.

"Leukemia," Shirley's mother told me, and my heart dropped. That was some scary crap.

"I want to visit her," I tell the mother. The mother looks at me, up and down. I shouldn't have worn my biker boots and ripped jeans and I had my helmet in my hands. Great. The mother probably thought that I was some kind of creep.

"She doesn't want to see anyone," the mother says to me warily.

"Please," I let out. The mother is hesitant. I mean I would too if I saw myself wanting to see a child.

The mother leads me to Shirley's room and I see Shirley on the bed, looking weak. Like all the energy I saw when I met her was sucked out of her. "Shirley dear, you have a visitor." The mother gives me a look. Shirley turns her head and I swear the whole room lights up when she smiles because she sees me.

"Sasuke!" Shirley tries to get up, but her mother tames her down and I sit at the end of the bed.

"Hey partner," I tell her, my throat getting knotted up. Dangit. I couldn't be weak.

"Remember Mr. Freckles?" she asks me.

"The bear," I nod, remembering.

"Mr. Freckles is gone," Shirley says sadly. I made a mental note to buy a stuffed bear. A huge one. Then, I think to myself- the carnival tonight. I wish Shirley could be there.

"Next time I see you, I'll have a surprise for you," I promise her. Her eyes light up.

"Really?" she asks with her big blue eyes.

"Yes, really," I answer her.

The nurse comes in. "Time to eat, Shirley," he says.

"I'm not hungry," Shirley says and I look at her, my eyebrows scrunched up.

"Shirley, you haven't eaten anything all day," her mother pleads, "please eat one thing."

"You have to Shirley or else my surprise is gone," I bargain with her.

"One bite," she tells me.

"Five," I tell her.

"Two bites," she says.

"Make that three," I tell her.

"Okay," Shirley takes out a small spoon.

"Visiting time is over," the nurse looks at me sadly. "You can visit again at around this time."

"Three _big _bites," I tell her, getting up. "Thanks," I tell Shirley's mother, leaving the room, waving goodbye to Shirley. Her mother comes out with me.

"She likes you," her mother says, sounding surprised. I only nod as I exit the hospital, feeling depressed inside.

Why her?

XX

"Okay, you get three tries," the guy at the booth tells me. Yes, it was Sai's genius idea to go to the carnival tonight. He says we can meet people. And cotton candy was the big bribe. Who can say no to cotton candy?

"You can't do it," Sai tells me.

"Thanks for your support. Really," I tell Sai as I pay. The guy at the booth gives me three basketballs. It shouldn't be hard at all. And I wanted that cute pink stuffed pony.

I grab one of the basketballs and take aim. Thinking. Aiming. Concentrating.

"Come on, Sakura, I still want to go to the fun house. And the ferris wheel," Sai says. I don't think he understand that I am scared of heights and that I will not ride the ferris wheel.

I shoot. And miss.

Sai's laughing.

"Two more tries," the guy says as I take another basketball. I see a smirk on his face. Oh, I bet they know that no one can actually accomplish this and they just rip us all off.

I swallow, taking a deep breath. Just shoot.

I miss again.

"Last chance," the guy has a full on smug smirk. He probably thinks I can't do it. He's right. I take my time on this one, concentrating. I throw my hands and release the basketball, only to miss once more. "Better luck next time." Jerk.

"Yeah, no thanks," I walk away, ashamed that I couldn't even make it once and Sai walks next to me, laughing his butt off.

"So now I know why you never joined the basketball team. You suck!" Sai hoots. I punch him in the arm. Hard. Then I see cotton candy.

"Come on!" I grab Sai's hand as we make way for the cotton candy. This is the only reason why we're even here. Well, why I'm here.

"We're going to the fun house!" Sai declares.

After an hour of the fun house and wondering which way to go in the house of mirrors while being chased by a clown in the process, I am at the basketball booth again without Sai, who had to use the bathroom, when I see a crowd forming around someone. I go on my tippy toes and see who it is.

Sasuke. Of course. I try not to roll my eyes. He's standing in front of the booth, swirling the basketball with one finger. Show off.

"You can totally do it," Ino says, standing next to him. She does make a good cheerleader because I'm wishing he doesn't. Okay, so I am a little bitter because I lost my three shots.

I see Sasuke point to a huge stuffed brown bear. "I'll be having that," Sasuke says, "when I get the ball in." Everyone whoops and cheers. It doesn't surprise me that he's confident about winning. Sasuke makes all three baskets. The person who owns the booth looks a little surprised. Seriously? When I tried, I couldn't make it at all. It was just hopeless for me. And I was eyeing the pony. Sasuke made it look so easy. Like he didn't even try to concentrate like I did. He just got it and shot it.

The owner gives him the bear and Ino asks, "So, who is it for?"

"A special person," Sasuke answers her, and she looks like she's ready to receive the bear, but Sasuke puts the bear on his side. "Wow, this is almost as big as me." Everyone laughs and Sasuke looks up, our eyes meeting and he looks away, walking away with his crowd. I'd be lying to say if I wasn't curious to who is this special person of his.

And totally, completely, jealous of the girl.

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	16. Chapter 16

OO

Shirley loves the bear when I give it to her the next day. It's so funny because the stuffed bear is bigger than her.

"Can we play mister teapot now?" Shirley asks, in her hospital bed looking alive. I try not to think about what horrible things could happen to her. I never want someone so innocent to stop smiling one day.

"No," her mother was in the room, looking serious and looking like she's about to punch me. She doesn't like me. The nurse is also there- she just got out of examining Shirley.

"Can I bring Shirley to the carnival?" I ask the nurse, glancing back at Shirley's mother. I didn't want Shirley to be cooped up in the hospital. Heck, this was depressing me.

"I don't see why not," the nurse says. "Going outside would be good for her."

We both look at Shirley's mother. I can see that she's hesitant and apprehensive about letting Shirley hang out with me. "She'll be back before ten. And I'll make sure she eats something," I say.

"Pleaaaaseeee mommy," Shirley says. Her mother sighs.

"Okay," Shirley's mother answers and she smiles when Shirley hugs her.

"Come on Sasuke!" Shirley exclaims, getting off her bed. "Come on! Let's go!" She's pulling my hand and I chuckle at her excitement.

"Do you even know where my car is?" I grin at her and she looks at me sheepishly.

"I think you can go," Shirley says and we both go towards my car, hand in hand.

When we arrive at the carnival, I see that Shirley likes it already. She nearly hops off the car. "Wait up!" I call to her, going to the ticket booth. There was an entrance fee and a fee for all the rides. I got the tickets and turn around. Except Shirley's gone. Oh, who's the only one that can do it? Oh yeah, that's right. Me. I'm a total screw up.

What if someone took her?

What if she got lost?

Okay, right now, I'm totally thinking like some kind of frantic mother, but I'm kind of flipping out in the inside. I see a person working in a booth. "Uh, excuse me," I ask the person. She was a woman in about her early twenties, and looked up and down at me.

"Anything for you, sugar," she purrs at me.

"Have you seen a little girl-" I gesture her height, " about this high walking around?" The girl shakes her head and I ask a few more people.

Where the heck was security over here?

XX

Great.

The cotton candy line is like really long and I don't want to wait for my cotton candy forever. I've been waiting for like, what, five minutes?

Look, five minutes feels like 20. Really it does when you're waiting in line for cotton candy.

I sigh probably for the hundredth time and check my phone, Sai telling me he's on his way to the carnival. I look up and spot a little girl standing two feet away from me, looking at the cotton candy. I frown as I see there isn't anyone with her. Where were her parents? A girl this cute could be snatched up by pedophiles.

"Hey sweetie, do you want cotton candy?" I ask her. The girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, looking so freaking adorable, nodded her head. "Okay, we'll just both wait in line, I'll get you some." I held out my hand, and the girl took it. "Where are your parents?" She just shakes her head at me. Wait, they weren't here? "Are you lost?" The girl nods, and oh no, oh no. I see tears. I bend down on my knees to get to her height. "Look, after we get the cotton candy, we'll search for them. Cotton candy makes everything better."

"Y-you think so?" she asks me in her tiny voice which suits her adorableness.

"Oh yeah," I answer her. "And we'll find…whoever you're looking for." We finally get to the front of the line and get the cotton candy, and I'm a little relieved that the girl looks a little happier.

"I-it's my fault. I left him," she tells me.

"It's okay," I rub her back, "we'll find him, cutie."

"You think I'm cute?" she asks me, blinking with her big eyes.

"I think you're super cute," I smile at her. Then, I spot Sai.

"Sai!" I wave over at him. Sai looks over to me and his eyes roam over to where my hands are intertwined with Shirley's.

"Who is that?" he asks. "Some long lost daughter you want to tell me about?"

"This is Shirley," I answer. I point to Sai. "This is Sai." Sai smiles. "Stop that, Sai. You're scaring her." Sai gives me a look and flips the bird. "Okay, Shirley, Sai is going to go with you to whatever booth you like while I find someone to help." I look at Sai and give him the stare to not ask questions. Sai takes Shirley's hand and I seek out security. Where was security when you needed them?

I walk over to the duck booth, and look over, bumping into someone.

"Hey watch where you're-" I stop when I see who it is.

"Number one," Sasuke looks at me but he doesn't look too happy. "Sorry-I have to go." He turns around, but I grab his hand. Oh crap. I need to stop being impulsive. Sasuke looks at me with those intense eyes.

"What's wrong?" I ask. I didn't know how or why, but he just seemed off and he looked worried.

"I lost this little girl," Sasuke answers me, our hands still together.

"Shirley?" I ask, not believing it.

"Shirley," Sasuke answers me, looking at me like I've got to be kidding him.

"I have her!" I exclaim. We're both looking at each other and smiling and it's such a great feeling. I have this funny urge to hug him, but that would be totally uncalled for. Like, extremely. "She's with Sai." Then I smack his shoulder. "You're a horrible parent. Why do you even have her?"

"Long story," Sasuke takes a deep breath.

"What even happened? How did she get away from you? Why weren't you-"

"I was getting tickets and the next thing I know, she's not anywhere in sight," Sasuke explains to me.

"She was getting cotton candy," I tell him. "So it's reasonable." Sasuke gives me a look.

"And let me guess, you found her in the line," Sasuke says.

"Exactly. I think we bonded over cotton candy in a way," I muse as I look over to my phone and Sai gives me his location, and we see them getting an animal balloon a clown made for her.

"Shirley!" I call out. She looks at us, then at Sasuke.

"Sasuke!" she runs to him and hugs him. "I'm sorry." After they have their hug, Sasuke looks at her sternly.

"Don't do that again," he warns her. Shirley bites her lip and nods. How can anyone stay mad at her for long? She was too cute, I could eat her up. Okay, that just sounded like some creep.

"But I just wanted some cotton candy," she says. I give Sasuke a knowing look.

"Wow. Sasuke with a kid? Can you say hot? Even though I'm sure I suck with children," Sai says, next to me, nodding approvingly.

"At least she didn't run away from you like I would have if I were a kid," I say and he laughs.

I would have never guessed that I was going to spend time at the carnival with Sasuke, but I did. Because of Shirley, who wanted me to come, so I decided why not. We rode some rides, just not the Ferris wheel. I'm scared of heights.

After a couple of rides, Shirley and I are sitting on a bench, eating our ice cream. Shirley's licking her ice cream and she looks up at me. "So is Sasuke your boyfriend?"

I choke on my ice cream. How old was she? Five?

"N-no," I shake my head.

"Why not?" Shiley's eyebrows furrow.

"It's…complicated," I tell her, giving her a small smile. Sasuke walks towards our bench and sits down, next to Shirley.

There was some silence, but Shirley broke it. "I like her pink hair," Shirley tells Sasuke. Sasuke's gaze meets mine and he holds it.

"Me too," Sasuke tells her, not breaking the gaze. My hair was one thing that I loved. And hated. Yes, I had a love/hate relationship with my hair. People did pick on me when I was young, but that was when I usually punched them in the face, and then got in trouble. But at the same time, I knew it was cool and unique. Some people thought it weird, and I know Kiba even asked me once if I was ever going to dye it.

I feel myself going red and heated, so I turn away and focus on the booth next to me, which happened to be the basketball, which had that stuffed pony I wanted the other day. I failed at getting it too.

"So, Shirley," I tell her, "did you know that I can't play basketball at all? And Sasuke can?"

"Really? That's so cool!" Shirley exclaims, excited, and I just found that adorable. I meet Sasuke's eyes, grinning at him. It's one evil grin because my mind is already concocting something up in my head.

"Yep, he can," I say. I point to the basketball booth. "He can show you over there." Shirley grabs both our hands, ice cream finished, and makes us go to the basketball booth.

"Wow you can shoot all the way there?" Shirley looks really impressed, and I see Sasuke give me a look. A strange look, but I can see the faintest of a smile. He's smiling because I know for a fact that I'm having this huge grin on my face.

"He sure can," I cross my arms and look at him, "in fact, when he wins, he's going to give me that pony."

"That pony?" Sasuke points to the pink glittered pony. "You want that? You?"

"Hop to it, we have an audience," I answer him giving him a cheeky smile. He returns my smile with his heart stopping grin and pays, getting the three basketballs.

"You can do it, Sasuke!" Shirley claps her hands.

"Yes he can!" I say, clapping along with her, and laughing because I sounded like my old cheerleader self. The guy at the booth- same guy as when I played- looks at us like we're on crack.

Sasuke easily makes his first basket. We both clap, and he bows down. "Thank you, thank you," Sasuke says, holding the second ball, and just as easily shoot it in. We clap again. "Now…for our third and final trick…" Sasuke turns around and shoots, the hoop going s_woosh._

"You're so awesome!" Shirley runs to Sasuke, and he grabs her up, and holds her. "I thought you weren't going to make it for a second, silly goose you scared me." I watch Sasuke smile heartwarmingly to her, and for a second I forget he's associated with gangs.

"Now for the prize," the guy in the booth says, and I walk over to where Sasuke is.

"That one," Sasuke points to an ugly ape. I slap his arm, and he chuckles.

"This one?" the guy at the booth looks at Sasuke, then at me, perplexed.

"No, see here, this guy is obsessed with pink," I say, "so you have to get him the pony." The booth guy looks at us again like we're on some drugs.

Sasuke shrugs. "She's right. I can't live without my pink pony."

"Get the pony!" Shirley says, clapping.

"Except the ape suits him a little, don't you think?" I ask, trying not to laugh.

"Hey," Sasuke protests, but he's smiling.

"So do you want the ape or the pony?" the booth guy sounds annoyed. Good.

"Pony," I answer. The guy hands the pony to me, and he mutters something like, "teenagers" as the three of us make way to the cotton candy vender. With me and my pony on hand. I don't know why, for some reason, right now, I'm feeling a little sentimental right now. Even though I did kind of force him to get it, it just felt good that he got something for me. I was feeling so warm and mushy right now. Oh, gosh, shoot me in the face please.

I give Shirley the money for the hit the duck booth because I'm feeling a little bad that I made Sasuke do the basketball booth and she skips along to the booth.

"Thank you," I tell Sasuke as we're both watching Shirley try to hit the ducks. Sasuke turns to me.

"Nah, thank you," he tells me. "You've been great with Shirley. She's shy around people, but with you…it's different."

"You're good with her too. Really good," I admit.

"You think?" Sasuke asks, tilting his head a little to the side.

"I know," I nod.

Sasuke looks at his watch. "Her mother is going to be here in like one minute," Sasuke sighs. Then Shirley comes running to us, saying she won a little plastic bracelet.

Bracelet.

The shell bracelet that Sasuke gave me isn't around my wrists. I can't let Sasuke see that I actually wear it…only as an anklet. And my jeans are covering that up.

Once Shirley's mother gets here, Sasuke and I both say our goodbyes to Shirley and I wave as she drives off with her mother.

"Is she…" I look at Sasuke, wondering how Sasuke knew her.

"I volunteer at a daycare and I met her," Sasuke says as we walk along the crazy carnival. I know I totally ditched Sai, but when I told him I was with Sasuke Sai texted me back saying: **I'm sure you won't be needing me after all ;)**

"You volunteer for the better of the community?" I tease. Who knew Sasuke was good with kids? Let's be honest, guys who are good with children have this attractive trait in them. And the way I see Sasuke with Shirley just melts my heart and makes me wish Sasuke really wasn't some gangbanger.

"I found out that I like working with kids," Sasuke says.

"I'd like to come sometime," I say without thinking. Then we both stop and I bite my lip. Shoot. Did I really just say that?

I look up to meet Sasuke's eyes and it feels like everything around us doesn't matter. It's just him and me. "I'd like that," Sasuke says. Then he looks away. "I have to go. I'll see you later, number one." He turns his back to me, walking off, disappearing along with the crowd.

OO

The party scene used to be my kind of thing. I would be the one who'd get drunk and have those stupid contests.

But right now, I'm at the outside, watching people make a fool of themselves. Huh. That was me. Used to be me. I could've went to another party, with Suigetsu, but I decided I didn't want to see other people. Mainly Akatsuki people.

I was a little surprised to see Sakura here too. Actually, I was kind of hoping she would be here. I see her standing there with Sai. What keeps bothering me is the person she likes. She's probably dressing up for him with that killer bod of hers, hoping to meet him here.

I watch as Kiba comes in, walking towards Sakura. I see him talking to her. She looks uncomfortable, like she wants to get out of there. Then he motions out. Sakura follows him. I crush my cup. At the beach that one time, she definitely has someone she likes. What if it's Kiba? What then? I didn't even think it would've been Kiba, but looking at that, I'm not sure.

I'm not a person that has low self-esteem. In fact, I'm really conceited about everything. But with Sakura, I just never know. If Kiba even asks her out or anything, I think I'm done. I have no chance against Sakura's loser ex boyfriend who seems to be possessive. Too possessive. Usually, possessive guys tended to be violent. Just thinking about if he did anything to hurt Sakura physically makes my blood boil.

XX

"Sakura," Kiba leans on the railings of the balcony. "We haven't talked in a while." He looks at me up and down. At one point, I wouldn't have minded, but now, I just found it creepy. Why did I even come with him? We didn't have anything unresolved. What was said, was said. He's in a gang and proud to be in one.

"Sure haven't," I say stupidly. I just should leave when I notice him draining his beer cup. Then I noticed. He sounded drunk. Kiba got drunk, like totally wasted a few times and he becomes really… aggressive.

"I know you still like me, Sakura," Kiba says, and I see he's inching closer. He puts his arm around me and I try to escape it, but he's stronger than me.

"Let go," I clench my teeth. He just pulls me tighter, and I try to push him away. "Get off of me!"

"You little b-" Kiba raises his hand and I flinch, closing my eyes, not knowing what was coming. But then I hear a loud grunt and I open my eyes.

Sasuke was standing over Kiba, who was now lying in a crumpled heap at his feet. The look on Sasuke's face was expressionless, but there was no mistaking at the murderous glint in his eyes as he stared down violently at Kiba. Sasuke was clenching and unclenching his fists.

"Stop!" Kiba groaned. Sasuke seemed to have a difficult time deciding. Then, he reached forward and jerked Kiba forward by the collar of his shirt.

"Don't you dare raise a finger on her," Sasuke says, his voice deathly calm. "Or I'll break your whole body." He releases him, and looks at me. I swallow. He grabs my hand, and we're walking out the door. I don't want to say anything because I've never seen laid back Sasuke this mad. When he looks at me I can see that anger blazes from his dark eyes. He was really angry. And the worst kind of angry was the calm one. Kind of like the calm before the storm. It was controlled, but if pushed too hard, it's going to break and the storm would come in full force. So much for getting him out of fights. Tsunade, I failed you.

"Sasuke," I whisper as we're alone. He runs his free hand to his hair. My heart is beating from all that happened in like literally five minutes. Sasuke's eyebrows furrow together as he comes closer to me. I just notice that he's taller than me. He's sexily hot with his broad shoulders, muscles, and that crazy hair of his.

"Do you like Kiba?" Sasuke demands.

"What?" this question was out of the blue.

"Do you? Is that the guy who you like? The guy that you were going to say you liked," Sasuke says. It seems like he's holding his breath.

"Why?" I ask suspiciously. Does he know anything?

"Never mind, forget it, forget I even asked," Sasuke says, breaking his hand from mine. He turns around and walks a few steps, but I change my mind. I had to tell him. I walked towards him, being right behind his back.

"No, and I don't think I ever did- like him, I mean," I answer him truthfully. He turns to me, and then leans forward and kisses me softly and quickly on the mouth, his lips just brushing mine. Before I can even decide how to act or even feel about it, he steps back and holds up his hand.

Sasuke says, "Don't embarrass yourself begging for more."

"Sasuke-"

Sasuke drops his hands. "Sorry, don't be mad, it was just in the spur of the moment. I'm not going to push you further." With that, he takes his leave. I place two fingers on my lips, still lingering from his soft lips.

Sasuke shouldn't have done that.

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	17. Chapter 17

**Thank you all for the support, my readers/reviewers! I honestly can say that I didn't know this story would make it this far. Ya'll make it possible.**

* * *

XX

"HE WHAT OHMYGOSH OH MY HOLY-"

"Yeah. Mhmm," I say as we're in the car after the party. I explained to Sai what happened. No big deal. I'm pretty sure Sasuke Uchiha kissed plenty of girls.

"How was it?" Sai sighs.

"Quick, like for two seconds- a brush on the lips," I say.

"That's the hottest," Sai sighs again.

"I'm so glad I have self control," I mumble. "If I didn't, I was seriously thinking about telling him to wait and I was going to fling myself at him."

"You know how to kill a moment," Sai looks at me with disgust.

"I just…I'm scared okay?" I say. "I think I like him too much."

"Go out," Sai states.

"But he..."

"…Obviously likes you," Sai says. "These are the modern times, how about you ask him? I'm sure he doesn't know how you feel about him, so he might not get rejected."

"Ugh. Fine. Whatever," I say.

"When will you realize not all guys are like Kiba?" Sai asks.

"You're right, not all guys are like Kiba, but Sasuke is in a gang like Kiba," I say. He will one day choose the gang over me. Like Kiba did. I didn't want to risk it.

OO

After the party that night, I don't want to be scolded by my mom for coming so late at night so I decide to go to Itachi's place. When Lisa sees me, she looks a little surprised.

"Hello Sasuke," she says, looking a little suspicious.

"Hey Lisa," I walk in the house, probably like I own it because let's admit, Itachi's house is like a second home to me, and sit on the couch.

"What brings you here…so late at night?" Lisa asks, crossing her arms.

I look up at her innocently. "I just wanted to see you, is that too much of a surprise?" I ask jokingly. Lisa walks over to the couch where I'm sitting at and looks down at me.

"Hmmm….your eyes seem normal, so no drugs," Lisa muses. She tilts her head a little. "I don't think you're drunk."

"I snuck out of the house for a party, and my phone's off so my mom's probably going to kill me if I just walk in," I tell her. Lisa sits next to me on the couch, one hand on her womb that I notice is getting slightly bigger.

"Parties," she shakes her head. "Sneaking out. I don't even know how your mom dealt with Itachi."

"If you think I'm bad…let' s not go to Itachi land," I say. Lisa gives a hearty, warm laugh. I know she knows full well what Itachi had been doing in high school. They did go to the same high school, after all.

"That's right," Lisa says. "I mean, most nights I would have been studying- never sneaking out." Lisa nods. "Tell me how've you been." I always thought it so easy to just talk to Lisa. So I tell her about what happened tonight.

"Wait, so you left her?" Lisa frowns at me.

"Because," I sigh the next part that is going to come out of my mouth is going to be really hard for me to admit, but it's the truth. "I'm scared."

"Woah," Lisa crosses her arms, looking impressed. "An Uchiha boy is scared of a girl? Now that is like some world record." She smiles at me warmly.

"It's just that…I thought she would tell me she hates me. Reject me," I say. "And I probably ruined any chance I had with her because she likes this guy and I kissed her impulsively."

"Kissing on rash decisions is like genetic to you and your brother," Lisa says. I start to smile because I've heard the story a hundred times, but I never, ever get tired of hearing it about Lisa and Itachi's first kiss. Lisa was the straight A student, top of her class, the typical nerd. And Itachi was the total bad boy who was in gang, who needed some serious help with, well, everything. Lisa was crowned Homecoming Queen in which traditions of the high school dictated that whoever was Homecoming Queen and King had to share a kiss, and the thought of anyone kissing Lisa made Itachi pissed off, so when she was crowned next to the king, before the big kiss, he walked up to the stage, grabbed the other guy's crown and kissed Lisa in front of the whole school.

Romantic, that brother of mine.

But then Lisa slapped him. And it went surprisingly uphill from there.

"Honey, I'm home," we both hear Itachi get into the house. He seriously said stuff like that. When I see him, I make a face. "Why is Thing 2 in here?" Itachi looks at me suspiciously.

"Food, what else? To see you?" I laugh and Itachi playfully punches my arm. Hard. He sits next to Lisa, kissing her on the cheek.

"Guys, I think I made a name for the baby," Lisa announces. Me and Itachi look at her expectantly. "Shisui." I glance at Itachi, and he has that look in his face, even though he's smiling, I know he's reminiscing about his best friend who died in while in the gang while protecting Itachi. I too, thought Shisui as a second brother to me. He would always have my back and give me wise advice, like he was some kind of old man. Shisui- he was something different. Another kind of guy- someone that you would only meet once in a lifetime. The guy that you won't ever forget, even if you tried to. He impacted so many peoples' lives, especially ours. Itachi always would tell me Shisui was born in the wrong generation. He was simply, plainly put, different from everyone. Memorable.

"I think that's an awesome name," I say, breaking the silence. Lisa knew Shisui too. In fact, it was Shisui who asked Lisa out to make Itachi jealous in high school. That, and the fact that Shisui also liked Lisa too.

"Yeah," Itachi sort of sighs, "it is." He gives me a look then. Itachi, after getting out the Akatsuki, gave me countless lectures on not joining the gang. But it was always something I thought that was inevitable. My father was in it, as was Itachi. I haven't seen any of the bigwig leaders of the Akatsuki recently, but I had a feeling that something's going to happen.

XX

The only way to forget about Sasuke is to avoid him. Well, that's my whole motto anyways. The only way to forget about Sasuke is to avoid him completely.

The next day at school, I am called to the principal's office. For a split second, I wonder what I done wrong. But then I remember- probably wondering how I'm doing with Sasuke.

"Sakura Haruno, you're making progress," the principal said. "Sasuke hasn't had a fight in a while." Like I'm going to mention he beat up Kiba for my sake. "Keep up the good work." I'm dismissed, and walk out of the principal's office, with Sasuke coming in.

His whole face brightens and he looks at me in surprise probably wondering why I'm in the principal's office. He gives me a heart wrenching smile and is about to say something, but I quickly leave, tearing my eyes from him. So avoiding him is easier said than done. Because I actually really loved the fact that he always smiles when he sees me.

As the school day goes by, whenever I see Sasuke in the hallways, which is a lot, I go the opposite way. The only class I'm really dreading is Kakashi's class. Sasuke sits next to me and usually he would entertain me with his expressions while Kakashi is teaching and those looks he passes to me.

When I sit in my seat, Sasuke is already there. For some reason, I am overly aware of his presence. I try to concentrate on what Kakashi is saying. For the rest of the class, I takes everything I have in me not to even glance at Sasuke's direction.

When the bell rang, I got up in a hurry and rush out of class.

After school ends, I'm walking in the hall, all chipper and then I bump into someone. I look up and see Sasuke. When he sees me, his whole face breaks out into a huge grin. "Oh look it's my number one fan that's been avoiding me recently."

"I haven't been avoiding you," I lie. I was totally avoiding him. His eyebrow quirks up.

"Then would you go to my game in three days?" Sasuke asks. I open my mouth. "Shirley is going."

"Of course I'll go…if Shirley goes," I tell him. Then my gaze, treacherous eyes of mine, wanders down to his lips.

He catches me staring. I clear my throat. Oh gosh, how embarrassing.

"We should talk about-"

"Yeah, so I'll see you at the game. Yeah." I walk away before anymore stupid things could be said.

OO

In the parking lot after school, I'm kind of satisfied right now. If Sakura doesn't want to talk about what happened at the night of the party, that was fine. I know as well as she does that eventually we'll have to talk about it.

"Sasuke," someone calls out. I look at Kiba, who's smiling at me. "Stay away from her."

I close my eyes. Lisa told me I should count to ten and take deep breaths before I wanted to punch someone. She said it might help not wanting to punch them and make me think about the consequences of my actions- something I never think of.

"I'm not scared of you," I say, getting my helmet. Kiba was lucky that I wasn't there at the lockers today. Naruto told me Kiba had been saying things about Sakura. Kiba gives me a glare and walks away. "And hey Kiba?"

"What?"

"Don't ever talk bad about Sakura again," I call.

I come home from school to see Karin laying on my couch like it's some normal occurrence. When she looks up and sees me, she brightens and puts on her glasses. I remember telling her to stop wearing contacts and wear the glasses because I told her the glasses made her look hot. She, surprisingly listened to me.

"Sasuke! You're home!" she says enthusiastically.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"Your mom let me stay over for a couple of days," Karin answers, smiling at me.

"Why?"

Karin looks a little hurt. "Because of my, you know situation with my family." I knew of her uncle that didn't give two craps about her. He usually was in jail.

"And she let you stay?" I ask. My mom was strict with letting girls be over at the house. But Mom also knew Karin's family was messed up.

"Well, yeah, your mom is cool," Karin says. "It's only for a couple of days."

"And you guys aren't fancying each other either," my mom walks out of the kitchen smiling.

Karin looks at me up and down.

I smile at my mom. "Yep. We aren't." I walk to my room, and I know already Karin is following me.

"So, what do you want to do? Go to the carnival?"

"Not with you," I reply.

"Why are you so mean?" Karin pouts. "You use to be so fun." I turn around.

"Used to be?" I ask. Karin looks smug.

"Yeah, you used to be fun, Sasuke, what happened?"

"Nothing changed, I'm always fun," I argue.

"Okay then, so you'll go to the carnival with me?"

"That's your idea of fun?" I ask her, skeptical.

"With you, why wouldn't it be?" Karin pats my shoulder. I just landed myself into a trap.

XX

Stupid Sai. He wasn't going to be here at the carnival for another thirty minutes. That was going to feel like…forever. And my stomach is growling. Oh man, I am so hungry.

I look around and cotton candy just wasn't going to cut it. I needed something like… I see a little food cart thing and spotted the word pizza. Ding ding ding. We have a winner. My favorite food in the entire planet. Other than chocolate.

I walk to the cart and scan the pizza choices.

"I would like the…three meat pizza," I tell the person in the cart. I get handed my big slice of pizza and grin like some maniac. Pizza. The best food on Earth.

"Here I thought you were a vegetarian," a voice says behind me. I turn around and my eyes go wide.

Oh, I am totally busted.

"I am a practicing vegetarian. You know, sometimes in life, you have to cheat," I shrug, not even believing my own crap I'm spouting. It seems Sasuke isn't either, not with that smirk he's giving me.

"Right," Sasuke says, his eyes boring into mine, smirking. "Practicing vegetarian, huh?"

"It's a lifelong journey," I say. I look around. "Is Share Bear here?"

"Who?"

"Shirley," I say.

"Oh. No, not today," Sasuke answers. "That one time she came was because of luck. Her mom didn't seem too keen on letting me take care of Shirley."

I give him a once over. "I wonder why." I couldn't help but appreciate Sasuke's muscular athletic body, his biceps barely showing because of his T-shirt. My eyes rest on Sasuke's jaw. Oh my gosh, I think I'm going to melt in a puddle. That freakin' jaw line of his was like chiseled to perfection. I was totally thinking perverted thoughts. If you don't think jaw lines are hot, there's something wrong with you. Because they are. And Sasuke has one hot one. One I didn't try to notice until like right now.

"Is there…something on my face?" Sasuke asks. No, just your hot jaw. And those eyes. And those…

"No," I answer, a little too quickly, my face heating up. Oh man. I had it bad. I should just tell him I like him and get this over with. Simple. Right? But I mean, how do you exactly tell someone you like them? When is there a good time? I want this time to be perfect. Like a scene from a movie or something. Surely, me holding pizza and telling him I like him isn't the way to go. It has to be somewhere else.

Or maybe I'm just scared.

"Well," I take a deep breath. "I have to go."

"Avoiding me again?" Sasuke asks.

"I wasn't avoiding you," I say, but Sasuke gives me a look. I have to look anywhere but his eyes. Or his jaw. Or his lips.

Staring at the ground it is then.

"Don't you think I know when you're lying, number one?" Sasuke says.

"Really- I have to go. I have things to do," here I am running away again. Like I always did. Why couldn't I just fling myself at him and see what happens? I'm tempted to do it, really I am. But there's something holding me back. I quickly get away from him, but heart beating really fast and when I glance back, I see him with Karin, and suddenly I don't have appetite for the pizza anymore.

That's saying something.

The next day after school for tutoring I told Sasuke that he could study as he liked at the school library. I was standing on the opposite end of where Sasuke was. I look over at Sasuke who's talking to Ino and Hinata, waving his arms around as if he's telling a funny story because Ino for sure is laughing hysterically. And leaning over him.

I was thinking about telling him today when we leave the library. I mean, he suggested he would go out with me. Yep, I need to slap myself for even thinking about going out with him. _Come on_, he probably did this to every girl. I had to make myself believe that. I mean he was hanging out with Karin yesterday at the carnival, but that could mean anything. What if they met by coincidence?

"Look at that piece of single hotness," Sai comes beside me. "Now, if I was a girl, I would totally do what Ino is doing right now with Sasuke."

"Shut up," I tell him as Sai takes his leave. I don't notice that I'm still staring at him when Sasuke meets my eyes and neither of us breaks the stare. He's heading toward me. I prepare myself. No staring this time. He stops when he's in front of me.

"Why are you so hard on me when I'm so nice to you?" Sasuke asks me. Good question.

"Well why are you so nice to me when I'm so hard on you?" I shoot back. He doesn't say anything.

"Fair enough," he says, and I take a peek at him. "I have to go." He walks out of the library, and I follow him out. I needed just a few seconds of courage to say it.

"Wait-" I begin. Sasuke turns to me.

"Yes?" he asks me.

"Uh-" just say it, Sakura. Say it and get it over with. I stop when we hear laughing.

Kiba was there on the other side of the hallway from us. Both Sasuke and I looked towards him, and we saw Kiba snarl at us. He laughs and points. In my direction.

I look up at Sasuke and see a flash in his eyes. Just like he had when he beat up Kiba. Kiba never really did learn, did he? But then again, at school, Kiba was with his friends so there was always like back up. Sasuke didn't have people right now to back him up. He takes a step towards Kiba, and I can feel the anger radiating out of him.

"Don't!" I almost yell, grabbing his hand. He only walks another step.

"Sakura," Sasuke has this really low, angry voice that I've never heard him use. "Let go." He was like a raging lion.

"You can't fight in school, Sasuke!" I hiss at him. "You'll get in trouble." My heart was racing. I did not want to see Sasuke fight with Kiba again. I did not want Sasuke to fight with anyone period.

"He has it coming," Sasuke growls at me. He's actually resisting, so I wrap my other hand around his waist. Sasuke is out for blood. And I don't think I can do anything to stop it.

"Please, Sasuke," I say, not knowing what else to say.

"Why?" Sasuke asks, gritting his teeth. He told me he would stop fighting if we were to go out. Desperate times called for desperate measures?

"Go out with me."


End file.
